TBW
It is an extremely dire situation and is deliberately being under-reported. The Florida red tide plague is still killing marine wildlife and destroying the vulnerable ecosystem around the massive panhandle. The actual problem is a spiral caused by human pollution causing the algae, the algae kill the fish which causes more algae which of course kills more fish. This never-ending cycle began in 2016 and has never gone away and has created, "dead-zones," in and around Florida's coastline leaving many experts wondering if the waters will ever recover.
A record number of manatees have died this year in the US state of Florida, primarily from starvation, wildlife authorities say. At least 841 of the marine mammals died in waters near the eastern state between 1 January and 2 July. That breaks the previous record set in 2013 when 830 manatees died after exposure to harmful algae. This year biologists say seagrass beds manatees rely on for food are dying out because of rising water pollution. They say the main issue is the increasing waste contamination of Florida's waterways, which triggers the accumulation of algae and the loss of seagrass.
Florida's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute said most of the deaths had happened during the colder months when manatees migrated to the Indian River Lagoon, where most seagrasses had died which lies on the Eastern coast of the peninsular. Parts of the Sunshine State on the Western coast are dealing with some serious red tide trouble. Tons of dead fish are washing onshore across the Tampa Bay area.
The unhealthy situation has prompted several beaches to close for around-the-clock cleanup. It’s a disturbing sight to see and smell. Dead fish are littering the shorelines across Tampa Bay. Baitfish, sport fish, stingrays, even dolphins and manatees have all been killed by red tide and are piling up and officials don’t think this problem will be resolved quickly. Almost 20 t0ns of dead fish have been cleared by officials in the last 10 days.
No comments:
Post a Comment