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.
The scientists may not be to blame, but the people that pay them certainly are. The valuable research dollars they spent on technology to predict these red tide blooms was wasted. Everyone already knew there would be a red tide there. Everyone knows what is causing it (rainwater runoff that’s polluted with fertilizers), the only thing they should be study is how to prevent it and and how to mitigate it once it occurs. Even super conservative Florida is now slowly coming around to this realization.

Here’s an experimental map I made that shows the general area they are speaking off:

USAToday has compiled a special report on the records numbers of red tide blooms and other harmful algae blooms that have been plauging the whole country’s coastlines over the past decade.  They did a pretty great job, although I don’t think it ever made it t their front page and it’s only one page long.  But they we’re able to land some quotes from some big names like people working for NOAA and Woods Hole.

It talks about how America has never had so much red tide in it’s history, not even close.  It also mentions the massive numbers of fish killed, and most striking is that it’s been striking from Seattle to Maine and lots of places in between.

USAtoday is one of the least likely sources to report this kind of thing, but yet they so congratulations to them and they get a mention  from me!

Here’s the article . . .

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.

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Fast Boat

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.

Other factors that may be to blame:

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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.

Read the latest Red Tide Report.