Argus: Examining causes, possible solutions for red tide

Argus - Red Tide

The Florid red tide alga, Karenia brevis, that has been destroying sea life all along the Gulf Coast for nearly 10 months now, was the subject of a sold-out Meet the Minds event, sponsored by Argus Foundation and held at the Sarasota Yacht Club. Speakers included Dr. Michael Crosby, president and CEO of Mote Marine, Alan Jones, president and owner of Jones Potato Farm (an award-winning farm recognized for its sustainable farming practices), and three Mote Marine scientists, Dr. Vince Lovko, Dr. Tracy Fanara and Dr. Richard Pierce.

Also seen at the event were Christine Robinson, Sharlene Hillier, Barbara Staton, Darrell Turner, Greg Blanchard, Judy Graham, Kyle Hembree, Kumar Mahadevan, Lee-en Chung, Jan Miller, Mary Foristall, Jack Bispham, Jay Riley, Doris Berkey and many more.

Following lunch, Dr. Crosby began the discussion with an overview of the problem. Currently, he said, Florida is facing multiple environmental emergencies. One of those is the destruction of the coral reefs off the Florida Keys, and the other is the presence of several toxic algal blooms, the blue-green bloom (Cyanobacteria) which is prevalent in Florida’s freshwater and brackish habitats such as lakes, rivers and estuaries, and red tide, found in Gulf waters.

He went on to explain that it is the blue-green alga which has been linked to run-off from developments and farms near Lake Okeechobee, with polluted waters being released into our area's estuaries. Red tide, Crosby explained, is a naturally occurring bloom that begins deep in Gulf waters. When winds and tides bring concentrated amounts of the bloom in close to shore, nutrients from run-off can make a bad situation worse, however that is just one of many factors contributing to the spread of the toxic bloom.

While he said he understands people are looking for a quick solution, “Red tide is not simple. At Mote, our scientists are working tirelessly, looking for solutions and for ways to mitigate the impacts of red tide.”

Dr. Lovko noted that though this outbreak was very bad, “it is not unprecedented.” And while there has been a lot of finger pointing toward agriculture, Alan Jones noted that he and some other farmers are making efforts to “reduce nutrient loads, conserve water and eliminate the runoff - to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”

Crosby added that Mote is providing both tactical and strategic responses, including dealing with the 170 tons of dead fish in our community (the blooms affect the nervous systems of the sea life just like pesticides) and stranded animals including 250 sea turtles, 21 dolphins and whales and dozens of manatees.

So what can people do? Dr. Crosby suggests staying informed through Mote’s apps and website on what beaches are safe and not safe, getting involved as citizen scientists, helping to gather data for Mote Marine, and donating money so the research on red tide can continue unabated until a solution is found.

Christine Robinson, Jack Cox, Alan Jones, Dr. Michael Crosby, Dr. Vince Lovko, Dr. Tracy Fanara and Dr. Richard Pierce.

PHOTO BY WENDY DEWHURST-CLARK