While a toxic red tide algal bloom is invading Florida’s beaches, a vast island of seaweed—spanning twice the width of the United States—is headed for the Sunshine state’s waters. It could seriously impact the tourism industry as Spring Break nears.
The mass of floating “Sargassum” seaweed is currently making its way slowly through the Atlantic and will likely hit Florida’s shores in weeks.
According to Mike Parsons, a marine science professor at Florida Gulf Coast University, red tide and Sargassum present problems along the shoreline.
The red tide, accumulating on Florida’s shores for several weeks, has killed marine life because it takes so much oxygen from the water. Masses of dead fish produce a foul stench. Moreover, the algae can cause skin irritation and respiratory issues when inhaled in sea spray.
Despite being a naturally occurring phenomenon, Parsons and a team from the Florida Gulf Coast University water school are examining if ocean pollution exacerbates red tides.
According to Parsons, red tides of these proportions occurred in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s.
“There is evidence that we are influencing red tide through discharges. Any of the nutrients that get into our water bodies—Lake Okeechobee, Caloosahatchee, other rivers—those nutrients can come down into the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and they may be feeding red tide,” he added.
In Parsons’ view, pollution is not the cause but very likely contributes heavily to the issue.
Red tide is formed where there are high concentrations of spiky dinoflagellate algae known as Karenia brevis. The formation occurs in the deeper ocean, several dozen miles offshore. It is then believed to rise to the surface upon approaching the coastlines, effectively causing a kind of traffic jam as the algae are compressed along the shoreline, according to preliminary data gathered by Parsons and his team.
The algae can cause severe disruptions to the tourism industry, especially as businesses are still emerging after Hurricane Ian swept through the Gulf Coast last year.
Yet some, like Melanie Coulter of Wisconsin, are not deterred by the rotten smell.
Beach-goers are advised not to enter the stretches of beach where dead fish have accumulated and to vacate areas where they experience an itchy nose or watery eyes.
“But the good news is that red tide is really patchy, so you can probably just move a couple miles down the beach and find a perfectly clean, safe area to be,” Parsons said.
An array of substances are then tested against it, according to Dr. Michael Crosby, president and CEO of the laboratory.
Sargassum
Nonetheless, he added, the massive raft of Sargassum approaching the region is also expected to create problems.Once the Sargassum hits the beaches and starts to mount up, it decomposes and releases gases, such as hydrogen sulfide, which smells like rotten eggs.
While beneficial to marine life as food and shelter, the masses of Sargassum can have detrimental effects once they accumulate and decompose along the coast in large quantities.
They can deprive the surrounding waters of oxygen. The seaweed’s flesh also has relatively high arsenic content, which can pose risks to humans if ingested or used as fertilizer. It can contaminate the soil and groundwater if not removed from affected beaches.