Red Tide algae bloom in the ocean – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Alfred Rowan
Due to a decline in tourism, Florida’s poisonous red tide has resulted in losses of billions of dollars in just one year.
According to a recent research by the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management published in the Journal of Environmental Management, the red tide blooms that occurred in 2018 are projected to have cost the state’s economy $2.7 billion.
The 2018 red tide incident was unheard of. It was among the worst and longest blooms the state had ever experienced. Based on assessments from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, it started in 2017 and peaked in the fall of 2018. Even if it finally vanished in 2019, the state was nonetheless negatively impacted because of the economic losses brought on mostly by a decline in tourism.
The results of this new study emphasize the importance of giving the potential harm caused by red tides more thought. Although authorities are already aware that algal blooms can negatively impact tourism, these billion-dollar losses are significant. According to a summary of the research, these dangerous algal blooms should be viewed as “potential billion-dollar disasters.”
“Existing records from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission show that the frequency of red tide in Florida has already increased. The available records show that in the late 1800s, when recordkeeping began, red tide was quite rare. Nowadays, it is a common occurrence,” Sergio Alvarez, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor at Rosen College, told Newsweek.
“For example, between 1878 and 1888, on average each year experienced less than one month of red tide. Between 1968 and 1978, the average year experienced between two and three months of red tide.
“Between 2008 and 2018, the average number of months per year with reported red tides had increased to almost six. So, in just over 100 years, Florida has gone from experiencing red tides about one month out of every year, to about six months out of every year, on average.
“However, it is important to recognize that surveillance of red tide has improved drastically over this time, and some of the observed increase in red tide frequency may be due to improved detection and reporting.”
According to the study, the red tide caused losses of $1.27 billion and $1.35 billion in southwest and southeast Florida, respectively. These conclusions were reached by analyzing data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Department of Revenue.
“It is clear that the higher frequency and intensity of red tide is turning this natural phenomenon into an economic disaster, a true billion-dollar disaster. It may not destroy buildings and other infrastructure like hurricanes, but it creates real hardship for many people whose livelihoods depend on clean beaches and coastal waters,” Alvarez said.
“Our research suggests that, in terms of losses in revenue, red tide is worse than hurricanes for coastal tourism businesses. With the combined impacts of climate change and nutrient pollution from human activities, the frequency and intensity of red tide will likely continue to increase. And with more red tide, we will have more economic losses and more hardship in the coastal communities that are impacted.”
Algal blooms caused by the dinoflagellate algae species Karenia brevis are known as red tides. Elevated bloom concentrations have the potential to produce a rust-red film on the water’s surface. The neurotoxin known as brevetoxin, which the algae generate, can be lethal to marine life.
These brevetoxins can cause rashes, ocular and respiratory irritation, and other uncomfortable and occasionally severe symptoms in people. Red tide makes swimming practically impossible, so when it blooms, fewer people visit the Sunshine State’s well-loved beaches.
When there are too many nutrients in the ocean, red tides might happen. This can supply nitrogen and phosphorus to the tides, both of which promote growth.
“To prevent the big, long-lasting blooms that take hold near the coastlines, we must reduce the amount of nutrients that end up in our waterways. To do so, we need to reduce the amount of fertilizers we use, not only in farms, but also in the urban and suburban landscape,” Alvarez said.
“We also need to restore watersheds and reduce the amount of paved surfaces in our coastal communities, to give rainwater a chance to percolate into the soil, rather than flowing straight into a storm drain and into a surface water body
“State and local officials also need to consider options to control red tide blooms. For example, there is a very promising method that involves the use of clay particles to control red tide blooms, but this method has not been tried on a large scale in Florida.”
Undoubtedly, red tides have been more frequent in recent years, raising the possibility of financial losses. Climate change may be causing them to occur more frequently. This is because algae development may be facilitated by warmer ocean temperatures. Their bloom may also be attributed to more frequent and intense storms and rainfall, which facilitate the flow of nutrients and fertilizers into streams.
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Melissa’s career in writing started more than 20 years ago. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys.
