Hurricane Michael is growing into a stronger storm in the Gulf as it looms closer to Florida.
While residents are bracing for landfall, environmental experts are watching to see harmful algae levels fall — or, possibly, rise — according to a report by AccuWeather.
Florida coastlines have blossomed with Karenia brevis, better known as red tide, throughout the year, causing beaches to shut down and thousands of marine organisms to die.
Red tide continues to grow on the west coast and even expand into the Panhandle — right in the projected path of Hurricane Michael.
One possible outcome from the merging forces is a red tide cleansing, AccuWeather reported.
Strong winds could blow the tide off shore and eliminate the possibility of a future bloom, according to AccuWeather.
Or, it might not.
The second possible outcome is that the storm could cause inland flooding and push the red tide into fertilized zones, supplying the red tide bacteria with a buffet and allowing to procreate even more, AccuWeather reported.
Red tide is made of dinoflagellates, which can flourish under the right conditions of tide, wind and man-made chemicals, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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