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Cool Weather Chills Out Red Tide

Posted on: Wednesday, 12 October 2005, 21:00 CDT

By Heather Civil, Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach

Oct. 12--MIRAMAR BEACH -- The red tide that has plagued local beaches for the past three weeks has abated, and beachgoers are breathing much easier.

Cooler weather, coupled with a northerly breeze, has knocked down the dangerous algae bloom, said Stan Kirkland, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The algae, called Karenia brevis, are dying off in the cooler water, and the wind is pushing the surviving organisms farther into the Gulf of Mexico away from shore, he explained.

The red tide was most severe at Miramar Beach near the Okaloosa County line during the last week of September.

It also turned up in isolated areas in Okaloosa County, Kirkland said.

No reports have come in about red tide in Miramar Beach since late last week, said Brad Pickel, director of beach management with the Walton County Tourist Development Council.

"People are back out on the beaches," he said. "We're in good shape."

The red tide killed countless fish, and the sight of dead fish on beaches grew almost commonplace.

The algae also released foul-smelling toxic fumes that permeated the air.

During the height of the bloom, dozens of people reported suffering from allergy-like symptoms blamed on the fumes.

The air is cleaner now, and the coast is returning to its emerald green coloring as the reddish-brown hue of the algae fades from the gulf.

Red tide, which is toxic to many species of marine life, causes respiratory problems including runny nose, itchy eyes and a sometimes severe cough in humans.

The invasive algae bloom began in the Tampa Bay area in late August and hit locally about a month later, Kirkland said.

Red tide is always present in the gulf, but conditions were just right for it to grow to noticeable proportions, he said.

Kirkland, like Pickel, has not heard any reports of dead fish or red tide in the area since late last week.

"Hopefully, we've seen the last of it," he said. "We're keeping our fingers crossed."

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Copyright (c) 2005, Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach

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Source: Northwest Florida Daily News

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