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Hundreds of dead fish stranded on Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, as southern Florida struggled with a toxic red tide and tried to scare tourists away.
All beaches in Broward County remained open, but in parts of Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties water samples were tested and officials tried to find the right answer to a generally confined problem. at the gulf coast of the state.
"We can only hope that these conditions will not last very long," said the Mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Dean Trantalis, at a press conference at City Hall, noting that the beaches remained open on the Gulf Coast, with a higher concentration of algae. "Red tide is rarely produced on the east coast of the state and has generally dissipated quickly."
Palm Beach County closed three beaches on Thursday, after reports of eye, nose and throat irritation, but later announced that all the beaches managed by the county would be open Friday. In Miami-Dade County, the beaches were closed north of Haulover Inlet.
Although the fear of the red tide may turn out to be temporary and mild, the tourism industry is trying to minimize the economic damage. Discover The Palm Beaches, the Palm Beach County Tourism Development Organization, has launched a Beyond the Beach campaign to highlight activities that visitors can do away from the ocean, such as spas and golf .
"The Palm Beaches are famous for their beaches, but the destination offers a wide variety of activities," said Rich Basen, senior vice president of group marketing, in a press release. "Even visitors who come mainly to the beaches are always looking for more. It's an opportunity to show them the diversity of our world class destination. "
Red tide test results will be at least two days late in Broward County due to unexplained error in water testing, northern and southern counties closing beaches to protect swimmers from algae toxic, which can cause eye burns, sneezing and coughing. with more severe symptoms for those with breathing problems.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission took water samples Monday in South Florida and promised results by Wednesday. But when they were posted late in the afternoon, Broward's results were missing, said Jennifer Jurado, director of environmental planning and community resilience in Broward County.
"I can not confirm that water samples were taken in Broward County," she said. "We understood that was the case, but for the moment, this has not been confirmed. There was a misunderstanding or miscommunication. "
Susan Neel, spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, did not want to answer a question about what was wrong. Instead, she sent an e-mail statement saying, "A network of partners is collecting samples. The County Natural Resources Office is collecting samples today and we expect to receive them on Friday. We will speed up the tests and keep you informed. "
The red tide is likely to be present in Broward County at concentrations similar to those found in Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties, according to reports of respiratory tract irritation in people at the same time. beach, the county announced in a press release.
The county took its own samples on Thursday and sent them by post to the state laboratory in St. Petersburg. The results are expected Friday or Saturday.
Testing this week has revealed low to moderate red tide levels in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, according to the state's wildlife commission. On the Gulf Coast, where red tide concentrations are higher and extend over a larger area, the level is classified as "high" off several beaches.
Governor Rick Scott, whose environmental policies were criticized during the double crisis of the red tide and toxic blue-green algae, announced Thursday that the state would spend $ 3 million to fight against the appearance of the tide red in South Florida.
The money, which can be used to clean up debris such as dead fish, will go to the counties of St. Lucia, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade.
"In Florida, when problems are presented to us, we work together and confront them face-to-face – the red tide is no different," said Scott, a Republican who is in a tight race to overthrow US Senator Bill Nelson. "Up to now, the state has provided more than $ 16 million to help minimize the effects of harmful algal blooms and to broaden our research and understanding of the red tide, including by helping scientists to test innovative solutions to combat this phenomenon. "
The red tide is caused by high concentrations of a microscopic algae called Karenia brevis, which emits toxins that can kill fish, dolphins and other marine species. When waves break algae cells, toxins can get into the air and cause eye burns, sneezing, and breathing problems in people near the beach. This can cause serious illness to people with respiratory problems. But a red tide does not necessarily mean that you should not go in the water, and that many people swim during the red tides and experience only mild symptoms.
Although the governor and state agencies consistently refer to the red tide as "natural", scientists say that the great flora of the Gulf coast that spawned the red tide of southern Florida could have been significantly boosted by fertilizers used to wash Florida farms and cities.
In the hope of taking advantage of the problem, the Florida Democratic Party announced Friday an appeal to reporters about the "horrific" record of the governor in environmental matters. The mayor of Tallahassee, Andrew Gillum, Democratic candidate for governorship, issued a statement Thursday in which he was promised to do a better job.
"After nearly eight years of prioritizing polluting companies and decimating the protections created to keep our waterways clean," the statement said, "recent beach closures are symptomatic of Florida's devastating environmental crisis." which Mayor Gillum has promised to face. "
In response, Scott's office reported that the state had significantly increased the budget of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, was monitoring water quality more than any other state and had achieved a compliance rate almost 96% by companies.
At Deerfield Beach, where the city has warned of a possible red tide, the charity race called the Dunn's Run, which takes place partially along the ocean at Deerfield Beach and benefits boys' clubs. and Broward County girls, has been postponed because of red tide anxiety.
Although a catastrophic bloom of red tide has persisted on the Gulf Coast for a year, the algae do not last as long on the rare occasions when they toured the peninsula to southeastern Florida.
"The red tide can last from a few weeks to more than a year, but we do not know it persists on the east coast," according to Broward's press release.
Shortly before 7 pm Thursday, officials announced the closure of Boynton Beach Oceanfront Park because of the red tide. The park is located at 6415 N. Ocean Blvd. and extends over several blocks along the ocean.
Visitors to the beach were greeted at the entrance of the parking lot by stop signs and a handwritten poster indicating that the beach was closed due to the red tide.
On the sand of the deserted beach, where small waves broke, you could see dead fish every few feet – breaking down into piles of seaweed algae.
"We are acting very cautiously," said Wally Majors, director of the Boynton Beach Recreation and Parks Department. "We need time to gather as much data as possible in order to make an informed decision as to whether to open the beach or not."
Photographer Joe Cavaretta contributed to this report.
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