Caution tape blocks an entrance to the beach as Palm Beach County officials closed all county beaches due to red tide affecting coastal areas in October 2018 in Lake Worth, Florida. However, when the algae - which produces a neurotoxin, called brevetoxin - washes up and grows on the coastline at higher levels, it causes major environmental, economic, and health damage.
Karenia brevis is present in Florida waters year-round, but it usually exists at such low levels that it has no effect on marine life or people, said Michael Crosby, the president and CEO of Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, an independent research institution in Sarasota. The bloom, which began in October, is now found across the southwest coast of the state. Last month, right when spring break travel was set to heat up, harmful levels of the algae were found across Pinellas County, home to the city of Clearwater, leading to the cancellation of festivals and sweeping beach clean-ups. Nearly every fall, the crystal clear waters of the Gulf Coast turn red due to high quantities of Karenia brevis, a type of harmful algal bloom. But a biological phenomenon known as red tide is putting spring break revenue and the health of locals and revelers alike at risk. These travelers bring in vital revenue for the Sunshine State, with one county alone, Pinellas County, raking in $13 million in tax revenue in March last year. This year, as in many past, millions have flocked to Florida’s Gulf Coast for spring break vacations.
0 kommentar(er)
