Red tide plagues beaches on both of Florida's coasts

MIAMI — Many of Florida's famous beaches were empty Thursday because of a red tide outbreak that for the first time in decades plagued both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts at once.

While the Gulf Coast has suffered the brunt of the toxic algae outbreak all summer, it only just showed up last week on the Atlantic beaches of South Florida.

Several South Florida beaches reopened Friday, but a forecast released that day by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the area can expect moderate red tide conditions through at least Tuesday from northern Miami-Dade County through St. Lucie County. Moderate conditions means that it could affect people with chronic respiratory conditions, with mild symptoms for most others. Symptoms typically including sneezing, couching and an itchy throat.

The growing crisis prompted Gov. Rick Scott to announce $3 million in state assistance for five counties in the region.

"It's very rare for us to have it over here," said Lieutenant Matthew Sparling of Miami- Dade Fire Rescue Ocean Rescue. "People come here to be on the beaches and they don't want to be coming down here to be exposed to red tide or sewage spills or whatnot, ... so yeah, I think we can be in trouble. " 

Red tide can cause breathing problems in humans. It's been blamed for tons and tons of dead fish on miles of beaches. At least six Palm Beach County beaches had been closed since the previous weekend because of the outbreak.

Red tide is caused by high concentrations of a microscopic algae called Karenia brevis that emits toxins that can kill fish, dolphins and other marine life. When waves break the algae’s cells, the toxins can become airborne and cause burning eyes, sneezing and respiratory problems for people near the beach. But a red tide does not necessarily mean you shouldn’t go in the water, and many people swim during red tides and experience only mild symptoms.

Although the governor and state agencies constantly refer to red tide as “naturally occurring,” scientists say the large Gulf coast bloom that spawned South Florida’s red tide may have been made significantly bigger from fertilizers washing Florida farms and cities.

State officials say a red tide bloom that began last fall now stretches along roughly 135 miles of Florida's southwest coast, affecting businesses, tourism and vacations.

"The ocean is big business out here," said 36-year-old Richy Beck, as he unloaded a truck full of beach chairs Thursday at Haulover Beach. "It's bad for business, man. It means I'm going to be on the unemployment line."

In Florida's Panhandle, crews of county jail inmates were cleaning up piles of dead fish killed by a red tide bloom near Panama City Beach. Bay County had the highest concentration of algae, while Walton, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties had lower concentrations.

Along the mid-Gulf Coast, Pinellas County is partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to issue out a first-of-a-kind air quality forecast to keep residents and visitors safe during red tide.

Nick Shay, Professor of Ocean Sciences, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, said the currents that would take red tide from the Gulf of Mexico into the Atlantic Ocean are always circulating, but the levels of algae in the Gulf are extremely high.

The strength of the fast-moving currents that circulate from the Gulf into the Florida Straits and then up along Florida's Atlantic coast are a reason the oil spill in 2010 was such a concern for the entire state, even though only a small portion of beaches in the Panhandle ultimately were affected, Shay said.

"This year has been an anomalous year for red tide," Shay said, but the algae's reach to the east coast, "it happens. The circulation is relatively constant and known. That's not a stretch."

Scott's announced aid was in the form of $3 million in grants from Florida Department of Environmental Protection for Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties to help mitigate the effects of red tide.

The King Tides expected in South Florida in October and November also could worsen the outbreak, as high levels of seawater push into shore, if large amounts of the algae are flowing close to the shoreline.