Climate change is one of the central facts of our time, as real as gravity, Goodell argues. It will reshape our world in many ways most of us can dimly imagine. Climate change, in various forms such as increased temperatures and melting ice sheets in Antarctica resulting in a rise in sea level, harbors potential destruction in real times (Goodell, 78). One of the many consequences of climate change is the formation of the red tide in the U.S coast of Florida. Red tide in the ocean is the manifestation of harmful algal blooms. Red tide consists of many different algae. The heavy manifestation of algae discolors the coastal waters to look red, hence the name red tide. Even though the red tide is composed of different species of algae, the most dominant in the Florida coast is Karenia brevis. Red tide is not only toxic to marine life but it is also irritating to human beings (Sellner, Doucette and Kirkpatrick, 340).
Red tide is a worldwide incident. The harmful red tide events have become widespread and frequent since the 1980s. Detection of a spread is thought to be influenced by a higher awareness of red tide, better equipment for detecting and analyzing red tide and nutrient loading from farms and industrial runoffs. Apart from the United States, red tides are also found in Europe, Asia, and South America. Karenia brevis swims to light or nutrients depending on what it needs and when it comes to a point where there are more nutrients with relatively calm water, it grows. Changing wind patterns create upwelling on the Florida coast during the fall and when linked with swimming, Karenina concentrates at the coast. Availability of right amount of light and nutrients enhanced by right oceanic circulation facilitates the accumulation of a lot of algal cells in a small area leading to discoloration of that area to form red tide (Hoagland et al., 145).
Causes
Red tide phenomenon is caused by a combination of various factors which work out together to create suitable conditions for the existence of harmful algal bloom. However, the core cause among many factors is climate change. In his book, Goodell states “we are like frogs in boiling water slowly dying and if we’re not careful we won’t be able to turn things around before it’s too late.” Goodell is attempting to claim that effects of climate change will slowly accumulate to levels which it will be impossible to reverse. For instance, he argues that devastating hurricanes experienced in the U.S in recent years are just dress rehearsals for a reality where water will rise and not go away as a result of continually melting ice sheets in Antarctica. Climate change is a contributory factor to the existence of red tide (Goodell, 173).
Another factor is warm ocean surface temperatures which avail favorable conditions for the breeding of algae. Increased temperatures are attributed to the continued emission of green gases to the atmosphere. When green gases accumulate in the atmosphere, they form a protective blanket which prevents reflected rays of the sun from escaping the atmosphere. As such, these rays raise the temperatures on earth. High temperatures melt ice sheets which drain into oceans raising the sea levels. The temperatures also act on the ocean surface raising its temperatures. Warm ocean surface temperatures form habitable environs for living organisms including harmful algal bloom (Anderson, 344). In a combination of other factors such as availability of nutrients and light, warm ocean surface temperatures allow survival of the algae.
Also, red tide phenomenon is facilitated by the presence of low salinity of oceanic waters. Normally, ocean waters are expected to be saline in nature but the activity of climate change has reversed the situation. High salinity does not facilitate the survival of living organisms. The action of higher temperatures in the atmosphere melts the ice sheets which are fresh in nature and the resultant water drains into the oceans. Fresh water from melting ice sheets and that from rainfall collect into saline oceans, thereby diluting the salinity (Sellner, Doucette and Kirkpatrick, 340). The low salinity in Florida west coast combined with the availability of sufficient light and amount of nutrients acts favorably for the accumulation of algae which collectively discolor the beach to form red tide.
There is no living organism can thrive without a supply of nutrients and favorably conditions (Vargo, 82). Harmful algal bloom in the red tide is able to thrive and spread due to the availability of nutrients in the oceans. These nutrients take the form of ammonium compounds which provide the stimulants required for the growth and spread of algae. The high nutrient content with the capacity to support life in the ocean emanates from the farms and industrial runoffs. The nutrients used to enhanced plants’ life in farms are washed by runoffs which ultimately drain the contents into the oceans. Industries manufacture the nutrients to be used in farms. However, some of these nutrients are washed by runoffs and deposited into oceans. In the ocean, these nutrients are consumed by algae to in the Florida west coast to consequentially form the red tide phenomenon.
Effects
The Florida red tide phenomenon has disastrous effects both to human and marine life. It is altering the ecosystem on the coast. Nonetheless, the key tragedy is how the humans are ill-prepared and ill-equipped to face and counter these increasing phenomena. Goodell writes, “We have evolved to defend ourselves from a guy with a knife or an animal with big teeth, but we are not wired to make decisions about barely perceptible threats that gradually accelerate over time (Goodell, 261).” Humans are not modeled to respond to potential danger as they react to actual danger. As a result, formation and accumulation of harmful algal bloom have been allowed to grow to its dangerous existence experienced currently. If the concern parties took the necessary steps at initial stages of red tide formation, the harmful effects of red tide felt presently could have been eliminated or contained by now. Some implications of the red tide phenomenon include;
The harmful algal bloom produces potent natural toxins whose process of production remains unknown. Through the process of bioaccumulation and biomagnification, some of these algae are hazardous to large living organisms. Since grazers such as krill and fish are not affected by the toxins, as they feed on the algae the toxins accumulate and become concentrated to levels that are poisonous for other organisms that feed on them. Large fish kills and consumption of shellfish such as oysters, mussels, and clams during the red tide algal blooms have caused deaths and several mammalian diseases (Sellner, Doucette and Kirkpatrick, 346). For instance, paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) causes paralysis and disruption of nerve function when an individual ingests shellfish contaminated by PSP toxins.
Brevetoxin released by the Karenia brevis is one of the few toxins that can be aerosol. Once it is inhaled, it causes irritation of the upper respiratory system and symptoms like cold, immediately on exposure. Inhaling brevetoxin reduces the functionality of lungs for hours or days once exposed. Healthy individuals can recover rapidly but persons with asthma may need to use their medications after exposure to harmful algal blooms (Hoagland et al., 148) Thus, effects of red tide cannot only be felt by humans through consumption of marine creatures such as shellfish, but some of the toxins can become airborne which if inhaled, they can impair an individual’s respiratory system.
In addition to killing large marine living organisms such as dolphins, certain toxins such as brevetoxin affects the nerves and fish gills of small fish causing them to die. Up to July this year, 267 marine life which included 21-ft whale shark, 72 goliath groupers and thousands of small fish have been washed up on the Florida beach as a result of toxic algae (Anderson, 345). Manatees are not spared either. When Karenia brevis lasts into winter, it settles on seagrass in warm water where manatees gather to stay warm. This results into manatee illness and ultimately resulting in death during the blooms in cold winters.
Lastly, the red tide phenomenon along the west coast of Florida has rendered the Florida beach inhabitable especially summers. Summer provides favorable conditions for blooming of the harmful algae. Ironically, summer is the most suitable time of the year for individuals to visit the beach due to the generally prevailing high temperatures. However, it is these high temperatures that warm the surface ocean temperatures required for growth and accumulation of algae (Vargo, 88). Even though this red tide phenomenon forms spectacular scenery below the ocean surface which people can go to observe, the toxin substances released to air makes the Florida beach useless altogether.
Solutions
Given that humans are wired to react to the real danger as opposed to the potential one, various efforts are currently being undertaken to contain the menace of red tide phenomenon. Although efforts such as led by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to research on the physical conditions that could help with bloom termination of harmful algal bloom are commendable, the real solution lies with containment of climate change and human activity (Anderson, 347). Goodell observes, “What we should be looking at now is reducing fossil fuel consumption to mitigate the overall effects that it has on the increasing the earth’s temperature.” Containing human activity by adding right quantity of nutrients to the farm to prevent washing off surplus nutrients to the oceans and reduced earth temperatures will inhibit the formation of algae.
In the meantime satellite imagery would enable tracking and monitoring of harmful algal bloom, thereby providing warning against swimming in infected waters and eating infected shellfish (Zhao and Ghedira, 308). This would greatly reduce the harmful impacts of algae. The technology could also be used to develop equipment that can test for red tide algae in the coastal waters. Lastly, scientists should research on developing an antidote to red tide toxins. Such antidote would provide anti-toxins to algal toxins, hence reducing the red tide effects on humans.
Works Cited
Anderson, Donald M. "Approaches to monitoring, control, and management of harmful algal blooms (HABs)." Ocean " coastal management 52.7 (2018): 342-347.
Goodell, Jeff. The Water Will Come Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World. Back Bay Books (2018): 7-412.
Hoagland, Porter, et al. "The human health effects of Florida Red Tide (FRT) blooms: an expanded analysis." Environment international 68 (2014): 144-153.
Sellner, Kevin G., Gregory J. Doucette, and Gary J. Kirkpatrick. "Harmful algal blooms: causes, impacts and detection." Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology 30.7 (2003): 383-406.
Vargo, Gabriel A., et al. "Nutrient availability in support of Karenia brevis blooms on the central West Florida Shelf: What keeps Karenia blooming?." Continental Shelf Research 28.1 (2008): 73-98.
Zhao, Jun, and Hosni Ghedira. "Monitoring red tide with satellite imagery and numerical models: a case study in the Arabian Gulf." Marine pollution bulletin 79.1-2 (2014): 305-313.
