[ad_1]
Public health, communication and compensation companies are part of the "red tide" mitigation efforts on the Pacific coast.
SARASOTA – Clarissa Anderson, scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, has a title dear to her heart – not only in the characters, but in the scope of her responsibilities.
She is the Executive Director of the Southern California Coastal Oceans Observing System (SCCOOS), whose main goal is to provide local decision-makers in California with the data they need to develop better policies and understand the conditions of their lives. seawater affected by the proliferation of harmful algae.
"The real mitigation measures are not eliminating algae," Anderson said. "It is really hard to do in the ocean.You can not kill an organism without killing others.Our mitigation measures are focused on early warnings and on the attempt to connect what is happening in the waters with fishing. "
The red tide of California is called Psuedo-nitzchia and produces neurotoxins called domoic acid. This chemical is lethal to fish, birds and marine mammals, especially California sea lions.
Read more: Full coverage of the Red Tide in Southwest Florida
In 1991, more than 100 brown pelicans and cormorants died in Monterey Bay, California, due to domoic acid present in anchovies.
Anderson said the sea lion deaths were visible and upsetting, but that they had not caused the same outcry as in Florida. An advance warning allows commercial fishermen to gather animals out of the water and warns the fisherman of the closure of the fisheries.
"We do not see a reaction," said Anderson. "We are working closely with the Ministry of Health to make sure we are on the same page."
California does not close the beaches.
"The real measure of mitigation is to compensate these fishermen," said Anderson, explaining that communication was a priority. She says the model was adapted from Florida, which was the first state with an operational seaweed forecast. "That's not to say it's perfect, but it's paved the way for the rest of the country so that it can predict harmful algal blooms."
According to the researcher, no ecosystem is identical, which could lead to false positives.
Anderson said the term "red tide" is an improper term that is not specific to one type of algae. Other species of algae called red tides exist in New England and Chile.
According to Scripps, a 15-mile-long red tide in California in May off San Diego caused the night-time ocean to burst.
Anderson said that water samples provide the best "ground truth data", but that red tide detection is also optical. Chlorophyll can be seen from space.
The Red Tide Forecast Collaboration, a joint project of the College of Marine Sciences of the University of South Florida and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, publishes a weekly update using a combination of Satellite imagery, drift trajectories and realistic wind measurements.
The model correctly predicted the major red tide in June and September.
Barbara Kirkpatrick, a former scientist at Mote's marine lab, helped develop the beach report for the research center by handing Blackberry to lifeguards in 2006. Real-time data from 31 beaches on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico are updated daily.
The Beach Conditions Reporting System of Sarasota Operations' Coastal Oceans Observatory has been in existence for 12 years.
Kirkpatrick says that he fills the gaps between water sampling tests, which can take 48 hours.
"This is the kind of information that beach lovers want to know when the tide goes out," Kirkpatrick said. "I've been repelled by the scientific community because the gold standard is the number of cells."
Mote is developing another citizen science project called "Mote CSIC", a smartphone app that allows the public to collect and test water samples. An algorithm performs a broad test for red tide concentrations. Users can also report when and where they experience respiratory irritation.
"We are doing this to get new streams of data while empowering the public and delivering the report," said Dr. Tracy Fanara, Mote's Environmental Health Program Leader. "We care about the public health and enjoyment of Florida's ecosystems."
Kirkpatrick said that beach patrons and fishermen, as well as boaters, have long been a valuable source of information.
"I have a lot of respect for these people that they know a lot about what's going on, on our waters," she said.
New technological advances and public participation are essential to mitigate the effects of the red tide. The improvement of beach experiences can lead to better commercial performance along the coastline.
In California and Florida, government agencies have declared the state of emergency because of the impact of the red tide. Funds are used for cleaning and promoting tourism.
"The real measure of mitigation is to compensate companies," Anderson said.
The US Small Business Administration provides small businesses in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties with economic disaster relief to cover working capital requirements caused by algal blooms. Low interest loans of up to $ 2 million are available for qualified companies.
Source link
