"Window on Pine Island" 16x20 wrapped oil on canvas |
Every summer at the height of tourist season, a tangle of
brownish algae and dead fish cascades onto the Gulf Coast's pristine beaches
and the stink is overwhelming; as my mother used to say, "Enough to gag a
maggot." What makes these algae such a menace? They produce one of the
deadliest toxins known to man.
(original photo of Pine Island) |
These harmful algal blooms or HABS wreak havoc on local
fishing industries to the tune of $82 million each year. The toxins affect the
central nervous system of fish, killing them in vast numbers; limiting the
quantities of fresh fish that fisheries depend on. Toxins also may poison
shellfish like clams, oysters, and mussels, and make the humans who eat them
sick.
These red tide masses affect marine ecosystems in a
number of ways. Dense blooms can block sunlight that benefit good algae and sea
grasses needed for food. Wildlife and marine mammals like seabirds, manatees,
turtles and dolphins may not only get sick, they may die. Hundreds of manatees died as a result of Red Tide in 2012. Humans may suffer severe
respiratory or skin ailments. In addition to that, red tides are downright
unsightly.
My first reaction to walking on the beach after a red
tide wash up was repulsion. Hundreds of putrid dead fish trapped in
strange-looking seaweed covered the white sand driving me and many other
tourists back to our hotels. Like them, I wanted to know what this stuff was,
what it did, and how we could stop it.
Red tides are composed of microscopic algae known as
dinoflagellates; their scientific name: karenia brevis. The algal
cells are asexual. They produce simply by dividing. To complicate matters, each
cell is capable of movement via two flagella that propels them through the
water. There is no brainwork involved in this confluence or joining of forces.
They drift with the water's ebb and flow, bumping together to form large clumps
or "blooms" as their numbers increase.
What makes dinoflagellates different from other
microscopic algae? At least two things: their rapid growth and their toxicity
both of which raise more questions than answers. Why do these organisms
suddenly explode into a massive growing binge? What triggers this growth and
why does it produce toxins in some algae and not in others?
Biologists and scientists believe pollution of our
waterways may be the leading factor. Pesticides, fertilizers and chemicals are
washed into surrounding rivers and lakes and eventually find their way into the
sea. At the mouth of these inlets and tributaries, red tides get their first
burst of growth which certainly points to pollution as the cause.
But there's a catch: red tides are not a new phenomenon.
Fish kills from deadly algae were recorded in 1840 and as long ago as the
Spanish explorers who wrote about them in their logs. After years of red tides
research, there is still no conclusive evidence or link to pollution. Like many
quirks of nature, the trigger may be from natural causes or a series of events
that are little understood.
The Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) in
Florida conducts Red Tide Reports on a regular basis during critical growing
periods. Using satellite imagery, high levels of chlorophyll are monitored for
possible resurgence of red tides. With the help of modern technology, experts
record the size, rate of growth, and location of these HABS.
FWRI works in partnership with the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the supervision of the U.S. Department
of Commerce. NOAA's goal is to "provide the tools to prevent, control, or
mitigate the occurrence of HABS." Because red algae can be found in almost
any waterway, research labs are positioned worldwide.
(I want to paint this beautiful Fuschia) |
What is the missing component that explains why
red tides grow faster and wilder during certain times of the year? Is pollution
the cause as some suggest? Or is it increased water temperature that naturally
encourages the growth of most algae? Until the mystery is solved, Gulf
residents and vacationers around the globe must continue to endure the
irritation, the blight and the stink of red tides.
Do you have a "stinky" problem in your neck of
the woods? Please share it with us.
No comments:
Post a Comment