Today officials are investigating a “massive” fish kill in Delaware Bay NJ. Tens of thousands of Menhaden (a type of herring used for fish oil and bait), have been washing ashore in Cape May NJ. Preliminary suspects are not red tide or any other toxic algal bloom.
New Jersey’s State Department of Environmental Protection indicates the die-off seems to affect only the menhaden. The agency is still assessing the extent of the kill, but says the amount of dead fish is particularly large in Middle Township. New Jersey officials are examining oxygen levels in the water and evidently the U.S. EPA is working on this too. They took samples and examined them for toxic phytoplankton, these tests were “negative”.
Consistent increases in water pollution and water temperatures are causing an increasing amount of Algae blooms in coastal waters of Virginia. Chris Moore, a scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation also says the algae are especially plentiful in lower Chesapeake Bay bay and in the Hampton Roads area. Further Mr. Moore is quoted as saying:
“Excess nutrients have basically fueled this type of phenomenon so that the plants are out there in levels and in numbers much higher than we would see in a normal, natural environment.”
Mr. Moore says the areas have been afflicted with Dead zones, or areas with no oxygen in the water caused by the decay of large amounts algae. This has led to fish kills, crab jubilees (which sound fun but are not, here’s some pictures of crabs basically “beaching” themselves), and conditions that don’t kill outright but cause wildlife that can, to move out of the area.
Mr Moore gives a nice summary answer to the question whether this natural. He says the algae itself is natural but the increased intensity, size and frequency of the algae bloom is caused by water pollution and is causing a great imbalance effecting everything that lives in the bay.
Here’s an aerial view of the algae bloom and another article about it.
I watch the news every day, I also read the news online every day. I didn’t know until recently that there has been an outright rash of oil spills since the famous BP Oil Leak. Here’s some:
If this doesn’t alarm you, you just can’t be alarmed. Since the 1950′s the amount of plankton in our oceans has dropped by 40%. The decline has been ongoing for at least a century according the Nature Journal.
Just in case you didn’t know, phytoplankton are a microscopic algae that is the bottom tier of the oceans food chain. It also provide half of the earths oxygen.
Let me put it bluntly. If we loose our plankton or planet will surely die. How quickly depends on how quickly the plankton die. If we lost all the plankton today. Animal life on this earth would begin dying in days and most of it would be dead within a week. After all animals can’t go long with out oxygen.
So what’s happening to all the plankton. Well according to the reserch:
In most regions tested, the phytoplankton decline seems to be the result of a 0.5–1.0 °C warming of the upper ocean over the past century. The warming leads to enhanced vertical ‘stratification’ of ocean layers, thus limiting the supply of nutrients from deeper waters to the surface.
We told you last month that a very grim summer was predicted for the folks up in Maine. Looks like it has started early. Here’s an excerpt from a press release from the people at the Woods Hole:
Yesterday, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution senior scientist Donald Anderson told the Cape Cod Times that some small amounts of red tide toxins, below the level where it affects human or animal health, have begun showing up in shellfish along the North Shore and in one salt pond on the Cape.
Anderson said it is not clear yet whether March’s heavy rains, which wash nutrients off the land, will help feed a major red tide bloom if one develops. Northeast winds from storms also can aid a red tide outbreak by concentrating the algae along the shore, but Anderson said it was still unknown whether that was happening. Research cruises to gauge the size, location and spread of red tide blooms have not been scheduled to start until May 1.
Yesterday, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution senior scientist Donald Anderson told the Cape Cod Times that some small amounts of red tide toxins, below the level where it affects human or animal health, have begun showing up in shellfish along the North Shore and in one salt pond on the Cape.
Anderson said it is not clear yet whether March’s heavy rains, which wash nutrients off the land, will help feed a major red tide bloom if one develops. Northeast winds from storms also can aid a red tide outbreak by concentrating the algae along the shore, but Anderson said it was still unknown whether that was happening. Research cruises to gauge the size, location and spread of red tide blooms have not been scheduled to start until May 1.
They say they’ll have a little more information after they gather and analyze samples form the area waters off the coast of Maine and further offshore.
NOAA has been using some new technologies to predict future red tides. Off the coast of Maine, it appears that they will have the worst red tide ever this summer. New Hampshire is included in this gloomy forecast.
The projection is based on a sea-floor survey of the seed-like cysts of Alexandrium fundyense, (which is different than the K. Brevis red tide we get here in Fl, but just as devastating), an organism that causes the harmful algal blooms that are referred to as red tides. Cysts deposited in the fall hatch the following spring, and last fall the abundance of cysts in the sediment was 60 percent higher than observed prior to the historic bloom of 2005, indicating that a large bloom is likely in the spring of 2010.
The Scientists are so alarmed that they held a teleconference for the media in addition to their normal outlook report. Sadly the local oyster farmers seem to be in denial and even seem to be trying to blame the scientists. Saying things like “It’s so unlikely, We certainly don’t lose any sleep about it or worry much about it.” and that the last red tide closure that Duxbury oyster farmers faced was in 2005, when the state’s shellfish industry grappled with the worst red tide bloom in recent memory. Well guys, this one is supposed to be even worse so get worried. Not that there is anything to do about it. Continued…
In the last few days, three dead dolphins have washed ashore in Volusia County, on Florida’s east coast. Numerous other dead animals like a porpoise, horseshoe crabs, birds and even a sea turtle have been recently reported.
The east coast of Florida doesn’t receive as much red tide monitoring from the state nor do they do as much of their own testing as red tide isn’t as prevalent on Florida’s east coast as it is down in southwest FL.
This week alone in Sarasota FL there have been 3 manatees found dead. The suspected cause of death? Red Tide exposure. Since September 30th, there have been a dozen reported manatees deaths in Sarasota County. Researchers from FWRI were reluctant to attribute red tide as their death and downplayed the odds of red tide being a factor. Martine DeWit, an associate research scientist from FWRI said there were no significant red tide blooms this year. Evidently she has heard about all he fish kills in the Lee County / Collier county area over the last month or so. Or maybe she’s saying that that the red tide bloom that is in Sarasota county currently isn’t strong enough to effect them and there no chance the manatees would have traveled from Lee county. Whatever she saying she also saying that FWRI will test tissue samples from the dead manatees for red tide and other toxins to determine a more definitive cause of death. We like that better than speculation.
Red tide activity is on the increase in the Gulf of Mexico. The red tide bloom in Texas stretches as far as 200 miles off shore. There’s a large fish kill involved there. Florida also has a large fish kill from a red tide bloom. It’s right off the coast of Sanibel Island and a smaller fish kill is already effecting it’s beaches.
The red tide there is strengthening and enlarging although it’s unknown how far off shore it stretches.
There’s been a red tide bloom in Texas for a while now.
According to a post on Caller.com, there’s a red tide bloom around Port Aransas that wasn’t strong enough for a fish kill. However the Algae bloom, which is K. Brevis, is strong enough to cause respiratory symptoms in humans.
My SA News has a story about what is apparently the same red tide which is off South Padre Island in Texas. I did notice that My Sa News is afraid to say why red tide blooms occur, instead trying to say the reasons still aren’t know (It ‘s a naturally occurring phenomenon made much worse by pollution in the water that comes from fertilizer runoff after rains. ) Since their afraid of the bad guys, they don’t get a link. Ok, Ok at least they reported the story whinh several other newspaper web sites did not, so here’s their story.
The weather report for them calls for an upcoming cold front and a breeze that will hopefully push the algae bloom back out to sea.
The Federal Government’s E.P.A. has finally begun following several townships and a few counties here in FL to set limits on the amount of red tide causing pollution that can be dumped into lakes, rivers streams, etc. by Farms and businesses.
This is a huge boon because we all knew that the local townships and counties that were primarily farmland and thus the primary cause of the fertilizer in the watershed, weren’t going to do this. After all they’re run by the farmers that are putting this stuff in the water (not on purpose mind you), in the first place.
If these limits that the EPA limits puts into effect are properly researched and implemented, there should be a huge decrease in the amount of algal blooms in Florida. In as little as one year we could see Florida Red Tide levels fall to their historic, natural levels. That means we could go years or even decades between red tides and that when they do occur they will last days or weeks instead of years.
This is huge news for Florida Red Tide Solutions! It’s half of what we’ve been saying is needed all along. The important half. The other half is red tide bloom mitigation methods. Well if there is hardly ever a red tide, mitigation becomes much less important doesn’t it?
To the UAE, ( a Persian Gulf country), red tide blooms are a new thing. However after just one year they already have the US and the State of Florida beat. That’s yet another country that is using various clay slurry treatments to mitigate red tide blooms.
Our only attempt in Florida (that we know of, if there are any others, please let us know), was sponsored by Mote Marine. Sadly, they insisted that polluted clay from phosphorus mines be used (phosphorus is one of the main nutrients that red tide needs to sustain a bloom). The scientist refused to participate, were fired and the Mote Marine declared that clay slurry treatments were bad for the environment (only true if you use polluted clay).
Heck, even high school kids and local inventors are beating us with red tide mitigation methods.
It is definitely time to shake up Florida’s dysfunctional scientific community. One has to wonder whats up with Mote Marine wanting to use polluted clay from Phosporus mines, does it have something to do with their funding, are they somehow connected? We asked them, but they just won’t answer.
Lacking leadership and legislation from the State of Florida, many townships cities and counties are making their own laws banning or partially banning the use of fertilizer. The latest legislation to be enacted is from Lee county.
Sounds like good news right?
Sure it is. However the fertilizers that the homeowners in coastal communities aren’t as much as their governments put into the water over fertilizing and over watering their medians, parks and the yards of thier public buildings.
Even worse are the farms up river. these farms put Tons per acre of fertilizers on their lands, not even Naples puts that much fertilizers on their medians (although . . .)
these counties where the farms are will never ban or limit fertilizers. however the fertilizers that wash off their lands pollute the communities down river of them. The entire southern half of Florida (except the developed portions) is a river. It’s called “The River of Grass”. It also happens to have a traditional river running through it, The Caloosahatchee river. It’s through these rivers that thousands of tons of fertilizer flows into the Gulf and Bays and feed the red tide.
The state is the only org that can do anything about this. But they are still trying to pretend there’s nothing unusual about our red tides . . .
It looks like Lee County is not only learning how to prevent red tide, but is also learning that all they have to do is try and they’ll make a difference. They’ve recently enacted legislation which while poorly written and still not very effective, will make a difference.
Here’s some of the points the legislation covers:
The new ordinance stipulates that fertilizers containing nitrogen or phosphorus cannot be used during the four-month rainy season of June through September.
Fertilizer application is also prohibited within 10 feet of any body of water, seawall or wetland.
All spreaders must be equipped with a deflector shield to better target application and to prevent errant fertilizer from being spread into water buffer areas and hard impervious surfaces like roads, driveways and sidewalks.
Clippings and trimmings cannot be swept or blown into ditches, drains or any body of water, or onto any road or sidewalk.
Professional landscapers are required to register with the county and have at least one employee certified through a training program offered by the University of Florida Lee County Extension Service.
Sarasota FL – Mote Marine recently concluded a 4 year long study that shows:
Red tide harms birds and sea turtles.
Sea turtles take longer to be rehabilitated from red tide exposure than birds.
Yup, that’s it. That took them 4 years and God only knows how much of the money that was granted for the specific purpose of exploring the link between pollution and red tide blooms.
Still no good answer from them as to why they are refusing to study this issue in earnest.
There is a tiny little piece of good news about Mote Marine however. Disney and the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary are performing some research into a drug called Cholestyramine for the treatment of red tide in birds. Mote and FWRI and jumping n the bandwagon. Hopefully they aren’t there to maliciously influence test results and will actually be helpful.. One would guess from their previous actions that they would want this to work because this drug is made by an established company. Mote and FWRI have a history of appearing to serve these companies instead of the people and animals of Florida.
The health Dept in Indian River county Florida has finally issued a “red tide health advisory“. This does not include signs on the beaches. In fact it appears that you have to call them to get the info. Most people don’t call the health Dept before they go to the beach.
Indian River County and several other along the central east coast of Florida have been suffering an “off and on” moderate intensity red tide bloom for several months now.
see video: Continued…
The Red Tide bloom in north west Florida may be being fed by nutrients from the Mississippi river. Researchers led by Richard P. Stumpf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have concluded that nutrients are pushed by seasonal winds in the fall from the Missippi river to the west coast of Florida and feed red tide blooms.
Another severe red tide bloom is occurring now in Maine. It is in at least the Nantucket area. For the last three years Maine has been rocked by red tide. It looked as though they would escape a red tide bloom until now.
Two stories made the press recently that make it seem there’s something very wrong with Lee County’s leadership.
The first story tells us that Lee County Health Dept has declared the beaches “Clean” in the midst of a huge red tide bloom.(1). I’ll quote the entire article here because this paper likes to take down articles after a few days and only allow access to them through a paid service, which would be fine, except, it doesn’t work).
How on earth they are trying to justify area beaches clean in the middle of a red tide bloom, frankly boggles my mind. So I thought, maybe I’m wrong. So I looked it up and called some people that lived down there. Sure enough they said the beach was “Awful” and to be avoided. How this translates to “clean” by any stretch of the imagination is unclear. I’ve got a call in to the Lee County Health dept. for comment but as of yet haven’t heard back from them. I’ll update this article if I do.
The second disturbing piece of news (2) from Lee county is about a bridge and some fish. Last week workers used explosives to destroy two old drawbridge pilings. They anticipated a large fish kill. Using explosives in water kills all fish in the immediate area. When less only 33 small fish (not one snook, redfish or keeper sized grouper) floated to surface they were happy and called that a good thing.
This is the most uneducated statement I think I may have ever heard. What they have unintentionally done is take a sampling of the fish that live in this area. And this sampling has shown a gross lack of fish in an area where there should have been thousands of fish.
This is a bad thing, not a good thing! Fish are often the apex predator n water areas. If there wasn’t many fish that means there’s something drastically wrong with this ecosystem.
Does Lee county want there waters free of fish, like a swimming pool or something?
People of Lee county: PLEASE START STANDING UP TO YOUR GOVERNMENT AND DEMAND THAT THEY WORK FOR YOU NOT AGAINST YOU. Think about what will happen if you don’t.
After all, this is the same county government that thinks the way to relieve traffic is to charge people to use the roads so that poorest of the poor will not use them as much. (3) Continued…
Blue green algae bloom? Not Florida red tide? That’s correct. Blue green algae is actually a name commonly used to describe many types of algae. Although blue green algae is usually described as “non-toxic” This editor has seen cases of burn like rashes on the skin, nausea, respiratory distress etc linked to exposure to blue-green algae in the press before.
The Blue Green Algae’s potency toxicity depends upon which exact species it is. “Some species of cyanobacteria produce neurotoxins, hepatotoxins, cytotoxins, and endotoxins, making them dangerous to animals and humans. Several cases of human poisoning have been documented but a lack of knowledge prevents an accurate assessment of the risks.”
NOAA is still finding several blue-green algae blooms in different places throughout the state. Trichodesmium the scientific name for blue-green algae is usually found in places that don’t get flushed well by the tides. Despite the the insistence from state officials that it’s harmless, everywhere it pops up people come down with burns on their skin, respiratory distress etc.
The return of oxygen-depleted water off the Oregon coast is a sign of a warming climate, which could have ill effect on populations of sea creatures, scientists said Monday.
It’s the sixth year the water, known as a dead zone, has formed.
“It does, indeed, appear to be the new normal,” said Jane Lubchenco, professor of marine biology at Oregon State University. “The fact that we are seeing six in a row now tells us that something pretty fundamental has changed about conditions off of our coast.”
Quoted from: Wired News. Check out the rest of the news article, it’s short, very informative and easy to read.
Eight manatees died in Lee County as a result of red tide between March 7th and March 24th.
On Thursday, the Marine Mammal Pathobiology Laboratory based in St. Petersburg, FL, also released toxicology findings that showed that ten other manatee deaths could have also been caused by red tide. Tissue sample tests still need to be performed to ascertain why the other ten died.
So far in 2007, 27 manatees are dead, five of which were killed by boats, with two succumbing to frigid waters.
Careful attention should also be paid to a new danger to the manatee population here in Florida. Lyngbya majuscula, a non-native blue-green alga, also releases toxins potentially harmful to manatees and humans as well. The full extent of the malignant effects of this new threat are not yet known, but manatees could be ingesting Lyngbya while grazing in seagrass beds.
Twenty-six manatee carcasses have been found in Lee County in the past two weeks.
Three of four recently reported carcasses in western Lee County have been recovered, according to Sara McDonald of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The fourth was verified this morning.
Toxin results from one rescued manatee that died last week revealed exposure to red tide as the cause of death, she said.
A team of nearly 50 researchers has determined that an algae bloom known as red tide was responsible for the earlier deaths of animals off the Florida coast.
The research team found that the mysterious deaths of scores of turtles, bottlenose dolphins and manatees back in 2005 off the southwest coast of Florida was likely caused a neurotoxin that was emitted from the red tide, The Washington Post said.
The Working Group on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events study determined that brevetoxin was the likely culprit in the deaths after examining 130 stranded dolphins.
The scientific revelation also comes in the wake of 64 bottlenose dolphins washing up dead on the Texas and Louisiana coasts.
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration scientist Teri Rowles told the Post that experts were working together to determine the cause of the new dolphin deaths.
Consistent increases in water pollution and water temperatures are causing an increasing amount of Algae blooms in coastal waters of Virginia. Chris Moore, a scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation also says the algae are especially plentiful in lower Chesapeake Bay bay and in the Hampton Roads area. Further Mr. Moore is quoted as saying:
NOAA has been using some new technologies to predict future red tides. Off the coast of Maine, it appears that they will have the worst red tide ever this summer. New Hampshire is included in this gloomy forecast.
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