The brown tide fears to worsen Florida's red tide

What could happen if the red tide and the brown tide in Florida meet? The "meeting" could aggravate the red tide that has already killed tons of fish and other marine species.

Florida Red Tide

The latest update from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on the ongoing red tide in the state reveals that algal blooms continue to persist in southwestern Florida over 145 miles of shoreline . In some areas, high concentrations of Karenia brevis continue to be observed at> 1,000,000 cells per liter.

So far, the authorities have already recovered 150 tons of dead fish for disposal, and other marine species such as manatees, sea turtles and dolphins are also affected by the red tide. . In fact, the FWC confirmed that the red tide was the cause of the death of 29 manatees on August 18 and is believed to be the cause of the deaths of more than 70 other manatees. Even birds such as ospreys, anhingas, black skimmers and gulls are already severely affected by the red tide.

Red tide and brown tide

Now, the annual proliferation of Trichodesmium algae has already begun in the waters of West Florida and experts are worried that this will lead to horrendous results if the red tide continues. Although some strains of Trichodesmium can produce toxins, it is not known that the creator of the brown tide causes harm to animals, water and humans. It is also not a source of food for marine animals.

What is dangerous in the meeting of the red tide and the brown tide, if it were to happen, is that when the flowering of Trichodesmium dies, K. brevia could then feed on the nutrients released by the brown tide, prolonging thus its life time. and allowing it to spread even more. This is the reason why scientists hope that the two will not end up in the water or that the meeting could aggravate the already bad red tide.

Tide tide

The brown tide is caused by Trichodesmium, a cyanobacterium that is found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world and that blooms every year in the Gulf of Mexico. Reports of Trichodesmium blooms date back to the 1700s when Captain James Cook of the British Royal Navy reported brown flowers that looked like sand bars.

Because flowers can actually form visible colonies in the eye, sailors sometimes call the flowers "sawdust" because the smaller flowers look like sawdust floating on the surface of the water.

Interestingly, some blooms of Trichodesmium can be so large that they can be seen from space.