#red tide… a deadly algal bloom..

[heliophaestus]

crying and shaking no one on here give a shit about red tide…

[bobnichollsart]

My 25 years of palaeoart chronology...

Two versions of "Jurassic Red Tide," a 2013 illustration of a Liopleurodon slowly suffocating in a deadly red algal bloom.

[urbtnews]

Beware: Clams and Oysters Could Be Deadly

Beware: Clams and Oysters Could Be Deadly. Serious Concerns Over Paralytic Shellfish Poison in Bivalves: A Growing Public Health Issue  Download the URBT News App from your App store. Apple / Andriod Public health officials are raising alarms about the increasing risks of Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP), a potent marine biotoxin found in bivalve shellfish such as clams, mussels, and oysters. This toxin, produced by dinoflagellates of the genus Gonyaulax and related genera, poses a significant threat to human health when consumed in contaminated shellfish, whether fresh, frozen, or canned. The Origin of Paralytic Shellfish Poison Paralytic Shellfish Poison is a toxin that accumulates in the tissues of shellfish that ingest certain species of dinoflagellates, single-celled marine protozoa. These dinoflagellates are known for their harmful algal blooms, commonly referred to as "red tides," which occur primarily in the shellfish growing waters of the Pacific Coast and the Bay of Fundy region. During these blooms, toxin levels in shellfish can rise to dangerous levels, rendering them unsafe for human consumption. Cooking May Not Kill the Biotoxins One of the most concerning aspects of PSP is its stability. Unlike many other biotoxins, PSP is highly resistant to heat. Ordinary cooking methods, which typically render food safe by killing bacteria and other pathogens, do not effectively neutralize this toxin. This means that consumers cannot rely on traditional culinary practices to ensure the safety of shellfish. Health Implications and Symptoms The consumption of shellfish contaminated with PSP can lead to severe and potentially life-threatening health issues. Symptoms of PSP poisoning can appear within minutes to hours after ingestion and include tingling and numbness of the lips, tongue, and fingertips, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and in severe cases, muscular paralysis and respiratory failure. Without prompt medical attention, PSP can be fatal. Beware: Clams and Oysters Could Be Deadly. Recent Incidents and Safety Measures Multiple reports link PSP outbreaks to shellfish consumption along the Pacific Coast. Health authorities have issued warnings and advisories, urging the public to avoid harvesting and consuming wild shellfish from affected areas. Regular monitoring of shellfish waters and rigorous testing of commercially available shellfish are critical measures to protect public health. Consumers are advised to heed local advisories and purchase shellfish from reputable sources that conduct regular toxin testing. Public health agencies are raising awareness about PSP dangers and the importance of adhering to safety guidelines. The threat of Paralytic Shellfish Poison in clams, mussels, oysters, and other bivalves is a serious public health concern. The resilience of this toxin to conventional cooking methods underscores the need for vigilance in monitoring and regulation. As the frequency and intensity of harmful algal blooms appear to be on the rise, possibly linked to climate change, the risks associated with PSP may become more prevalent. Ensuring shellfish safety requires ongoing research, stringent regulations, and public education to prevent future poisoning incidents. Consumers are urged to stay informed and cautious, recognizing that the allure of fresh seafood must be balanced with an awareness of the potential risks associated with paralytic shellfish poisoning. Beware: Clams and Oysters Could Be Deadly Submit your Press Release to URBT News Click Here Read the full article

[suzannetownsend]

Red tide at morning, Floridians take warning

TAMPA–Floridians are all too familiar with the regularly occurring red tide and its consequences. Beachgoers arrive hoping for a relaxing day of swimming and shelling only to be plagued with cough and the stench of decaying fish. 

Red tide is a naturally occurring periodical bloom of the phytoplankton, or single-celled algae called Karenia Brevis. The organism has been documented in the Gulf of Mexico since the 19th century but recently it's been exacerbated by excess nutrients and increased water temperatures. The harmful algal blooms of Karenia Brevis suck oxygen out of the water and release a toxin deadly to fish and other marine life, as well as having adverse effects on humans. This negatively impacts the tourism industry that Florida’s economy heavily relies on and in some cases has caused respiratory infections that land affected people in the ER. 

The impacts of red tide are felt first and foremost by businesses that rely on the ocean. Captain Dustin Quesenberry has been with Poseidon Fishing Charters of Tampa Bay since 2020. He recalls recent blooms and the effects it had on business. “We did have fewer bookings just because it’s all over the news. Bait was a big issue and then catching fish was a big issue because most of them died. Then they go to different areas when the red tide affects the water, so that was our main struggle.” 

David Karlen, an environmental scientist with the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County says the fish kills can be costly, both in cleanup expenses and for tourism. “The other issues are respiratory issues. People with asthma or other respiratory issues are particularly sensitive to the toxins in the algae that get released into the atmosphere. Currently there's a bloom occurring south of us near Lee County that reaches up towards the mouth of Tampa Bay so we’re going to see more bloom impact in the coming weeks.”

Southwest Coast Karenia Brevis concentrations. Courtesy of Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.

What causes red tide?

Karenia blooms begin offshore in the Gulf, but the main problems arise once it makes its way to shore. Rhonda Watkins, a member of the Harmful Algae Bloom Task Force, wants people to remember that red tide is naturally occurring. “It’s never going away,” she said in a phone call. But it has gotten worse in southwest Florida. One cause of the increased algal blooms is temperature, according to a University of Florida study. Higher water temperatures due to climate change have been found to enable the proliferation of toxic phytoplankton, making red tide worse for Florida. “It also has been documented that nutrients and temperature act synergistically in the ocean to stimulate the growth of harmful phytoplankton blooms.”

Nutrients are a big component in exacerbating existing red tide once it gets closer to the coast. “Once red tide is near the coast it will consume any nutrients available to it. 

There’s nutrients in any coastal runoff that can exacerbate an existing red tide, it can sustain it for longer than it typically would be here,” Watkins explains. Nutrients that Karenia feeds off of include nitrogen and phosphorus which can come from fertilizer and sewage and it’s only becoming worse due to land development. When asked about the role of Florida’s sugar industries in excess nutrient runoff, Watkins says they’re not the main culprit. “The thing is that I know everybody wants to blame Big Sugar but Big Sugar has been here since the 60s, so nothing that they’re doing is changing. The thing that has changed is development and we know that the rules that we have for development for stormwater runoff are not addressing the nutrients in the water. Then you compound that with the number of people that are moving here and that’s more sewage, that’s more biosolids…” That’s more fuel for red tide. 

One example of a bad red tide happened in July of 2021 after the Piney Point wastewater leak in Manatee County. In March 215 million gallons of wastewater was pumped into the Bay, and in July the Tampa Bay Times reported that almost 2,000 pounds of dead sea life was picked up in the Tampa Bay area alone. Red tide usually naturally affects Florida’s coast during the winter months, so this unusual summertime bloom can be linked to the wastewater leak. 

There are clear connections between climate change and harmful algal blooms when we look at unusual storms, too. According to NOAA, hurricane season in Florida lasts from May to November. Still, Tropical Storm Alberto in May of 2018 was a somewhat unusual occurrence. This storm led to another bad red tide that lasted all summer, again, an unusual time for a bloom. Storms and hurricanes cause upwelling of nutrients from the bottom of the Gulf, as well as increased runoff from land, feeding outbreaks of Karenia. 

What needs to be done?

Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute are the main researchers investigating red tide. As for what everyday people can do, both Karlen and Watkins urge people to limit use of fertilizer. According to Watkins, “Recommendations at the state level are either not passing legislation or or the rules that they’re revamping are so watered down that it's not gonna make a difference.” She goes further by saying “We should stop growing grass. That's really one of the best things you can do, it’s such an artificial crop and it takes so much energy and nutrients to maintain. Grow food, grow anything else.” 

Florida has a long way to go with its research, but the more residents know, the more proactive they can be in taking care of their natural environment.  

[karte-returns]

Bestie you can't just drop this in the tags and walk away

I wanna hear about the fire algae >:( /lh

AAAAAAAAA YAY I GET TO TALK ABOUT THIS-

WELL-

There are currently around 2000 known species of Pyrrophyta, and they’ve been found in fossil deposits ALL over the world, from freshwaters, to tropic seas, to the arctic. I guess technically I’m talking more about dinoflagellates(which is what I’ll go ahead and call them for now), which belong to the phylum Pyrrophyta, but personally I just think that the term “Pyrrophyta” is easier and sounds cooler. Anyway, dinoflagellates are mostly photosynthetic(some are heterotrophic), unicellular protists that have flagella. They can survive in both saltwater and they produce mostly through binary fission. When the water they’re in is full of enough nutrients, some species, like Gymnodinium breve, undergo a population explosion called an algal bloom, which, because of the species reddish color, causes red tides. These tides are deadly to lots of marine creatures because dinoflagellates release a bad toxin, and thousands of fish can die in just one bloom. An interesting thing is, though, that while tons of other creatures die because of it, clams, oysters, and mollusks are immune to red tides. That being said, the toxin does still build up in their bodies, so heterotrophs that eat clams, oysters, or mollusks that were exposed to red tide can be poisoned. Even some human deaths can be attributed to that.

Also! Many dinoflagellates are bioluminescent, and when they’re disturbed by something, like a crashing wave or boat, they give off a cool blue glow!

That glow(along with the usual reddish color) is what gives the phylum its name, Pyrrophyta(pyrro, meaning flame, and phyton, meaning plant)

I'm not an expert or anything, so if anyone notices that I got something wrong, please let me know! Also, thank you SO much for letting me infodump-

[newstfionline]

Florida declares a state of emergency as red tide kills animals and disrupts tourism

By Joel Achenbach, Kate Furby and Alex Horton, Washington Post, August 14, 2018

Florida’s governor this week made official what residents of southwest Florida already knew: The bloom of toxic algae that has darkened gulf waters is an emergency. The red tide has made breathing difficult for locals, scared away tourists, and strewn popular beaches with the stinking carcasses of fish, eels, porpoises, turtles, manatees and one 26-foot whale shark.

Gov. Rick Scott (R) late Monday declared a state of emergency in seven counties stretching from Tampa Bay south to the fringe of the Everglades. Scott promised $1.5 million in emergency funding.

The governor is facing Sen. Bill Nelson (D) this fall at the ballot box in a contest for the senate seat Nelson has held for three terms. Each man has accused the other of failing to tackle the red-tide calamity and the simultaneous bloom of a different type of algae that is clogging rivers and canals and putting a scum on top of Lake Okeechobee.

Citizens in retirement communities are reporting respiratory distress from the vapors of the microscopic red-tide organism called Karenia brevis. A recent study found a 50 percent spike in hospital visits due to respiratory problems during red-tide blooms.

The red tide has been gradually moving north, to the mouth of Tampa Bay, according to state tracking data. For many places, the daily reports continue to say “Water Color: Dark” and “Respiratory Irritation: Intense.” Worst of all are the reports that state “Dead Fish: Heavy.”

Rick Bartleson, a research scientist with the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, said water samples offshore show lethally high concentrations of algae.

“There’s no fish left. Red tide killed them all,” he said. “All of our concentrations of red tide are still high and would still kill fish if they were out there.”

The algae is found in marine environments for most of the year, but the past two months have produced high concentrations, said Kelly Richmond, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The duration of blooms can be affected by sunlight, nutrient and salinity content, she said.

The toxins can aerosolize in the wind that drifts ashore, triggering respiratory problems or worsening conditions such as asthma. That has incited many tourists and some locals to flee.

“I can’t even let my cats out on the lanai,” said Amy Ernst, a Sarasota printmaker who lives near the beach. “Eyes burning, throat burning, sinus problems.”

Adrienne Miceli-Trask, 52, a salon owner who helped organized the Hands Along the Water protest in Sarasota, said: “It’s not just on the beach. It’s in our intracoastal waterway. It’s in the air. It’s toxic. Somebody’s backyard on the intracoastal is totally filled with dead fish. It’s disgusting.”

Scientists are trying to figure out why, exactly, the current red tide along the Gulf Coast has been so protracted and deadly. State officials and scientists point out that, at base, this is a natural phenomenon. Fish die-offs were noted by Spanish explorers in the 1500s and have been well documented since the 1840s.

But the incidences of red tides seem to have increased since the 1950s and 1960s. Climate change could be a factor; warmer waters, up to a certain point, are congenial to algal growth. The Gulf of Mexico’s surface temperature has warmed by about two degrees Fahrenheit since 1977.

There’s a more direct human handprint on the current crisis: Florida’s landscape and the flow of water have been radically altered by agriculture, canals, ditches, dikes, levees and the sprawling housing developments that have sprouted as the state’s population has boomed. Bartleson said Lee County used to be 50 percent wetlands and is now about 10 percent wetlands.

In the old days, he said, rainwater slowly filtered into the aquifer or seeped into estuaries. Now it rushes rapidly, unfiltered, into rivers and bays and into the gulf, typically loaded with agricultural nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous, which feed the algae.

Researchers have experimented with ways of killing the toxic algae, but they are proceeding cautiously because they don’t know what effects it could have on the ecosystem.

“The ocean has thousands of species of algae, really only a little bit more than a hundred that produce toxins that are dangerous to us,” said Don Anderson, the director of the U.S. National Office for Harmful Algal Blooms, based at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “Algae in general are hugely important to marine life.”

Historically, algal blooms become more prevalent in the fall and decline in late winter and spring. Less rainfall and increased wind could potentially ease this deadly red tide. For now, there’s no end in sight.

[sciencespies]

Florida reservoir leaking toxic wastewater may have a second breach, drone finds

https://sciencespies.com/environment/florida-reservoir-leaking-toxic-wastewater-may-have-a-second-breach-drone-finds/

Florida reservoir leaking toxic wastewater may have a second breach, drone finds

A possible second leak has been found in a Florida wastewater reservoir that risks flooding nearby communities with millions of gallons of contaminated water, authorities said Monday.

“An infrared drone identified a signature that could indicate a second breach” at the Piney Point reservoir on Tampa Bay, said Jake Saur, public safety director in Manatee County in the west of the state.

Engineers were studying the new data, he said.

Emergency workers, assisted by the Florida National Guard, have been pumping about 33 million gallons of water daily out of a wastewater reservoir at the site, which has sprung a growing leak in its plastic lining.

More than 300 homes near the site of the abandoned phosphate mine and fertilizer-production facility were put under mandatory evacuation orders at the weekend, and Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency to free up funds to tackle the crisis.

Some prisoners from a county penitentiary have also been bussed to an undisclosed location, while others were moved to higher floors in the building.

The contaminated water was being pumped into Tampa Bay to avoid what authorities warned could be a “catastrophic” flood in the area.

The governor said the wastewater has higher phosphorous and nitrogen levels.

Marine algae thrive on such elements, and environmental groups fear the release of millions of gallons of nutrient-rich water into the ocean could trigger a deadly “red tide,” or algal bloom, that can suffocate fish and other aquatic life and deter tourist activity.

Florida Republican Congressman Vern Buchanan said the situation was “very concerning” and called for the Environmental Protection Agency to step in.

A collapse of the reservoir also risked sending water into nearby stacks of phosphogypsum, a leftover from fertilizer production.

Phosphogypsum is considered radioactive as it contains isotopes such as radon, as well as toxic heavy metals like arsenic, lead and mercury.

© Agence France-Presse

#Environment

[monique-20242679]

Colourful Waters, a Warning Sign, or a Beauty?

Imagine References: 1, 2

Colourful Waters, a Warning Sign, or a Beauty?

Across the globe people stare in wonder at the gorgeous light show that dances upon our many shores and look upon the vast red planes painted across the ocean’s surface. However, these fabulous displays of nature are not just to be stared at and admired, they are telling us something important about our changing climate.

Climate Change is a highly talked about subject and it should come as no surprise that it affects even the smallest of creatures. The Earth’s natural climate has been declining with the rise of human-induced climate change since the Industrial Revolution and has begun to reflect on the ocean’s smallest plants.

The appearances of these toxic blooms have been increasing as climate change continues to get worse. Ocean temperatures have increased by roughly 2oC since 1900 and CO2 Levels have increased by 47% since the industrial revolution.

These phenomena are caused by microscopic plants (phytoplankton) known as dinoflagellates that often appear in the form of algae. When agitated, these algae can cells light up to provide a bright spectacle known as a ‘Sea Sparkle’, or cause mass destruction to an ecosystem as they grow into a Harmful Algae Bloom (HAB) known as ‘The Red Tides’.

 What the Lights are Telling Us

Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates being agitated by scientist: Reference Image

For years, these glowing dinoflagellates have simply been admired by the common populace, but 1994 marked the year of change as they began to be spotted further and further south, until finally spotted in southern Tasmania, Australia in 2015. CSIRO scientist Anthony Richardson states that this is a large sign of climate change.

As climate change melts icecaps and increases the ocean’s temperature, the Eastern Australian Current has been strengthened as displayed in the picture below, pushing the phytoplankton down the coast all the way to Tasmania, where they have begun to increase in numbers when normally the water would be too cold for them to survive.

Display of Australian water currents. Image Reference

This is bad news for the native wildlife as these creatures suck up diatoms (microscopic algae eaten by krill- the prey item of many creatures in southern waters). They have been known to kill masses of fish with their blooms via starvation and oxygen deprivation. Despite this, they are not considered HABs.

As the ocean’s temperature increase due to climate change, these dinoflagellates will gain a favourable environment to flourish in with ideal conditions. However, as temperatures continue to rise, it is suggested by scientists that they will begin to die off due to high temperatures.

Red is the colour of warning. Heed it.

Red Tide on the coast of Benguela. Imagine Reference

From coastlines to open waters, The Red Tide displays a brilliant red hue that can be spotted throughout different times of the year. These HABs are toxic due to the high number of organisms which are intaking oxygen out of the water at a non-sustainable rate, and the potential toxins they release as a waste product into the water.

These HABs can completely destroy an environment before dispersing and seemingly disappearing without a trace. Entire populations of fish, turtles, marine mammals, birds, and more are either dying or becoming ill and inedible for consumption. Even humans are not safe, as some toxins can make a grown adult fatally sick when exposed to the toxic blooms.

Warmer temperatures and an excess of CO2 have allowed these algae to grow unimpeded, allowing them to grow larger, more frequent, and far more deadly.

What does this all mean?

To summarise, dinoflagellates decorate the Earth’s oceans but ultimately are threatening to destroy ecosystems across the world. Climate change is driving red tides to appear with greater density and frequency while sea sparkles are pushed further south along ocean currents affected by rising ocean temperatures.

Though beautiful; both blooms have the potential to collapse ecosystems- the consequences of such are not restricted to just the ocean. People fall sick and birds fall out of the sky after eating fish and shellfish that have been infected by algal blooms.

Although this is a very understudied topic, it is plainly clear that these phytoplankton are affected by climate change in the same way. Tremendously and unrelentlessly.

Reference List

[fishing-exposed]

@USFWSFisheries: Harmful algal blooms can cause devastating effects in aquatic ecosystems. Blue green algae can create toxins that are deadly to fish in freshwater. Algae known as dinoflagellates can cause "red tides" that are harmful to fish in brackish water. https://t.co/S2bAyUseBZ USFWS https://t.co/53H8IcsIYa

[jakehglover]

Toxic Algae and Red Tide — The Steep Cost of Factory Farms

By Dr. Mercola

Florida is well-known for its aquatic wildlife — a natural resource that is now being rapidly decimated by the influence of factory farms and chemical agriculture, combined with the unpredictable forces of nature.

Over the past 10 months, scores of manatees, dolphins, turtles, eels, crabs and other marine animals have washed ashore, dead, killed by toxic Karenia brevis algae — known as red tide — which now covers the east and west coasts.

Lake Okeechobee, which is the source of the problem, is also choked by another algal organism — blue-green cyanobacteria. Both the red tide organism and cyanobacteria are fed by excess nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen from agricultural fertilizers.

These toxic algae also pose a threat to human health. Exposure through inhalation may trigger respiratory distress; topically it may cause skin rashes, while accidental ingestion can lead to vomiting and kidney failure. As reported by One Green Planet:1

"[T]oxic algae is spreading through the coastal waters of South Florida, causing what is known as a 'red tide' to form, and it is killing wildlife at alarming rates due to lack of oxygen. The explosion of wildlife-killing algae in the area is largely a result of agricultural runoff linked to the Big Sugar industry."

Largest, Longest Red Tide in Decades

Hundreds of dead manatees and even a massive whale shark have washed ashore since October 2017, when the red tide began. Turtles have been hardest hit, including Kemp's Ridley sea turtles, which are on the critically endangered list. As noted by Bob Wasno, a marine biologist with Florida Gulf Coast University:2

"Back in 1994 we had an outbreak and it killed 196 manatees. Everybody was just completely outraged. They yelled and jumped up and down and said 'This is not going to happen again.' Here we are 24 years later and this is worse than ever."

In 2016, the Florida algal bloom in Lake Okeechobee drew attention after persisting from May through midsummer, covering 33 square miles and spreading to the coasts.3 A state of emergency was declared in three of the hardest-hit counties on the Atlantic coast, as well as one county on the Gulf coast.

That was nothing, though, compared to what we're facing now. The red tide, which covers an estimated 100 miles of coastline and stretches miles offshore, has persisted for 10 months and still shows no signs of abating.

What's Happening in Lake Okeechobee?

As noted in the featured video, the waters of Lake Okeechobee originally drained south into the Everglades, "one of the most biologically diverse regions on Earth." Over time, however, swampland was transformed into farmland. Then, in 1928, a massive hurricane hit the area, causing Lake Okeechobee to overflow, with floodwaters spreading across hundreds of miles.

Some 2,500 residents were killed in the storm surge. To prevent a repeat of this deadly event, the Herbert Hoover dike was built around the lake. Instead of draining south, the lake now drains to the east and west coasts via man-made canals.

As Okeechobee no longer fed water into the Everglades, more swampland dried up, and the sugar industry moved in. Meanwhile, cattle ranches and dairy farms congregated to the north of the lake.4 Together, these industries have created a perfect storm in Lake Okeechobee.

Phosphorous-rich manure is leaching from the factory farms in the north, while fertilizer-rich water gets pumped into the lake from the south, and it is these fertilizer chemicals, primarily phosphorus but also nitrogen, that feed the toxic algae in the lake.

Another relatively surprising source of phosphorus is glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, which is the most widely used herbicide in conventional farming.

According to University of Miami scientists Larry Brand and Angela Compton, K. brevis blooms were thirteenfold to eighteenfold more abundant along the southwest Florida coast between 1994 and 2002 compared to 1954 to 1963, and the reason for this was human-released nutrients such as fertilizer runoff.5

Lake Okeechobee Destroyed by Industrial Farming Practices

A major problem with the sugar cane fields is that they still use the old system of back-pumping excess water from the fields into Lake Okeechobee. According to Martin County district data, an estimated 8.7 billion gallons of nutrient-rich water from the sugar fields in the south were back-pumped last year.6

The back-pumping, combined with two serious storms, Harvey and Irma, created a situation where an unusual concentration of cyanobacteria formed in the lake, starting around October 2017. The water from Lake Okeechobee, thick with algae, then flows through the canals to the ocean on the east and west coasts, slowly spreading outward.

In the video above, you can clearly see it — the lake water looks like coffee compared to the clear blue ocean water. While red tide is a natural occurrence, it would typically occur much farther offshore. With the toxic runoff from Lake Okeechobee, however, the red tide hugs the shoreline, killing all marine life in its path.

As noted by Heather Barron, head veterinarian at Florida's Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, "Anything that can leave has, and anything that couldn't has died."7 According to National Geographic:8

"Background K. brevis concentrations usually fall below 1,000 cells per liter. Yet in recent counts, many sites tip the scales at over 10 million cells per liter, says Richard Bartleson, a biologist at Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, who has been monitoring the bloom's intensity.

In select spots, he's seen counts up to 140 million cells per liter. Animals accidentally ingest the algae while feeding, which makes them 'almost comatose,' says Gretchen Lovewell, program manager for Mote Marine Laboratory's Stranding Investigations Program … But most, she says, are already dead."

The concentration of nutrients in the water also allows the red tide to persist far longer than normal. It’s been 10 months, and it still shows no signs of abating. Part of the solution would be to reestablish water flow from Okeechobee to the Everglades.

For this to happen, the state would have to buy at least part of the land back from the sugar industry. As of yet, this has not happened, and environmental activists cite "lack of political will" as a primary reason for this failure.

Algae Blooms Traced Back to Sewage Sludge

Aside from synthetic fertilizers, manure and glyphosate, there's yet another nutrient source that appears to play a role in toxic algal blooms: sewage sludge, also known as biosolids. This human waste is frequently used as a "natural" fertilizer.

A July 15, 2018, article9 in the Florida Times-Union reported a breakout of algae bloom at the head of St. Johns River — a typically pristine area — may have been caused by the sludge runoff:

"'We're seeing green algae throughout the headwaters,' said St. Johns Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman, who told state officials this spring that algae-feeding phosphorus and nitrogen might be seeping into the lake from a minimally cleaned variety of sewage sludge that's spread over nearby ranch land."

While the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has shied away from blaming sludge, it, along with St. Johns River Water Management District, has agreed to study the problem, and has placed a six-month temporary ban on the use of biosolids at a 3,000-acre ranch west of the lake.

According to the article, "County commissioners started discussing a six-month moratorium for the entire county last month, but have moved cautiously to avoid any legal landmines." According to researchers, there's been a significant increase in the use of sludge in the area, starting in 2013.

Since 2012, the amount of phosphorous added to the upper basin has more than doubled. In 2016 alone, 70,000 tons of sewer sludge were allowed to be disposed in the river’s upper basin.

According to Edith Widder, biochemist and founder of the Ocean Research and Conservation Association, "there's pretty clear evidence of biosolids" in the St. Johns watershed. The problem with biosolids has been clearly detailed by David Lewis, Ph.D., whom I interviewed in 2015.

Chemicals known to be problematic in the part per billion or trillion in water and air are concentrated millions of times higher in sewage sludge which, when applied to farmland, deposit these toxins into the soil. Rain and irrigation runoff then transport the toxins into waterways and groundwater.

What's more, biosolids are not counted toward fertilizer use. This loophole can give the false appearance that agricultural fertilizers aren't as big a problem as you might think.

Farmers may proudly claim they've cut down on fertilizers, when in fact they've just switched to biosolids, which aren't counted, yet deposit even more toxins and result in the same kind of environmental devastation, including algal blooms in waterways.

Petition Calls for Action

A White House petition has now been created, urging the federal government to call on Congress to clean up Lake Okeechobee and take steps to prevent future algae blooms. According to the petition:

"Lake Okeechobee is covered in cyanobacteria, polluting our waterways to the East via St. Lucie River and West via Caloosahatchee River … We are seeing an influx of red tide on our beaches killing countless amounts of fish, turtles, birds, marine plants and other life.

These animals survive on the delicate balance that is being disrupted by human and chemical interference whether it be agriculture, runoff or dumping. Many persons living on canals and waterways are becoming severely ill.

Our politicians are not making the everglades restoration as part of Florida legacy amendment 1, a priority as per legislation passed in 2014. Our economy relies on tourism, fishing and many water related industries. Please save our waters!"

It needs 100,000 signatures in order to receive a response from the White House. If you'd like to add your name to the petition, you may do so here.

>>>>> Click Here <<<<<

Agricultural Changes Are Necessary to Stop Toxic Algal 'Plagues'

Florida is not alone in its struggle. Not only are many of the world's lakes at risk due to agricultural chemicals feeding harmful blue-green algae, but at the bottom of the Mississippi River lies the largest dead zone on the planet. As reported by MPR News:10

"This particular dead zone at the Mississippi's mouth is a swath of ocean, big as New Jersey at its peak, that's choked for oxygen. There, native plants die. Marine animals move away, or die …

All Midwestern states drain into the Mississippi. Those states have intensive agriculture, too, which uses huge amounts of fertilizer … Nitrogen and phosphorus wash into the watershed during rains … Once in waterways, the nutrients become pollutants …

At the bottom of the Mississippi, all the excess nutrients wind up in the same spot and dump into the Gulf of Mexico. There, they form algae blooms, which demand oxygen from the Gulf's waters. The blooms grow and spread quickly, leaving native wildlife with less oxygen.

Climate change exacerbates the problem as warming ocean temps make it easier for algae to grow — and take up more oxygen in the water. What's left is a dead zone."

That our agriculture is causing such enormous environmental devastation is inexcusable. There's no reason for this insanity, as there are solid, proven ways to farm without synthetic fertilizers and other toxic chemicals, including glyphosate.

On an individual level, you can help by buying food from organic, or better yet biodynamic, farmers who rely on natural methods and soil-regenerative techniques, such as no-till, cover crops, composting and livestock integration.

This will naturally help you to eat better too, since typically only real whole foods are grown this way, while most processed foods are the product of destructive industrial nitrogen fertilizer-laden and glyphosate-heavy agriculture.

Biochar Bank Could Be an Important Part of the Solution

While we certainly need major industry changes, getting main offenders like Big Sugar to change its ways is not going to happen easily, or quickly. Still, there are things that could be implemented fairly rapidly that could make a big difference.

One such technology is described in the Virginia Tech paper “Denitrifying Bioreactors: An Emerging Best Management Practice to Improve Water Quality,”11 which essentially involves installing biochar filtration to catch runoff from agricultural sites and catch excess nutrients before they’re released from the lake.

If water were released more slowly over time instead of allowing for the rapid discharge of contaminated water into the canals that lead to the coastal waters, it could be treated with a biochar filtration system. Around the lake, the biochar would work as a water filter to recapture the fertilizers before the water enters the ocean. These biochar borders or banks could also be set up around major agricultural sites to soak up runoff nutrients. As noted in this paper:

“Research has shown that successful nitrogen removal can be obtained in these field scale systems for up to 15 years even with fluctuating in influent nitrate concentrations and flow rates.

This tolerance to variable in influent enables application of DNBRs [denitrifying bioreactors] to treat a wide range of non-point source pollution, such as that created by agriculture, where conventional wastewater treatment is cost-prohibitive. Some of the greatest potential for DNBR use is in agricultural settings, where nitrogen loss to groundwater is the dominant pathway.”

Stay Out of the Water During Algae Bloom

It's important to note that if you see signs warning of harmful algae blooms, stay out of the water and keep your pets out too. Even if there are no signs present, avoid entering water that smells bad, looks discolored or has foam, scum or algae mats on the surface.

If you suspect there could be a problem, you're better off safe than sorry, and be aware that algae toxins can be present in the water even if there's no visible algae on the surface.

In addition, avoid consuming any water that could be contaminated with algae toxins, even if the water has been boiled. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),12 "Boiling water does not remove algal toxins and can increase the amount of toxin in the water by concentrating it," so you'll need to find an alternative source of water if an advisory is issued in your area.

Lastly, if you live in Florida, either on a boat or near the water, you can volunteer to perform water testing to establish better data and monitoring. To learn more, see the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Volunteer Monitoring Program page.

from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/08/21/toxic-algae-and-red-tide.aspx

[urbtnews]

Beware: Clams and Oysters Could Be Deadly

Beware: Clams and Oysters Could Be Deadly. Serious Concerns Over Paralytic Shellfish Poison in Bivalves: A Growing Public Health Issue  Download the URBT News App from your App store. Apple / Andriod Public health officials are raising alarms about the increasing risks of Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP), a potent marine biotoxin found in bivalve shellfish such as clams, mussels, and oysters. This toxin, produced by dinoflagellates of the genus Gonyaulax and related genera, poses a significant threat to human health when consumed in contaminated shellfish, whether fresh, frozen, or canned. The Origin of Paralytic Shellfish Poison Paralytic Shellfish Poison is a toxin that accumulates in the tissues of shellfish that ingest certain species of dinoflagellates, single-celled marine protozoa. These dinoflagellates are known for their harmful algal blooms, commonly referred to as "red tides," which occur primarily in the shellfish growing waters of the Pacific Coast and the Bay of Fundy region. During these blooms, toxin levels in shellfish can rise to dangerous levels, rendering them unsafe for human consumption. Cooking May Not Kill the Biotoxins One of the most concerning aspects of PSP is its stability. Unlike many other biotoxins, PSP is highly resistant to heat. Ordinary cooking methods, which typically render food safe by killing bacteria and other pathogens, do not effectively neutralize this toxin. This means that consumers cannot rely on traditional culinary practices to ensure the safety of shellfish. Health Implications and Symptoms The consumption of shellfish contaminated with PSP can lead to severe and potentially life-threatening health issues. Symptoms of PSP poisoning can appear within minutes to hours after ingestion and include tingling and numbness of the lips, tongue, and fingertips, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and in severe cases, muscular paralysis and respiratory failure. Without prompt medical attention, PSP can be fatal. Beware: Clams and Oysters Could Be Deadly. Recent Incidents and Safety Measures Multiple reports link PSP outbreaks to shellfish consumption along the Pacific Coast. Health authorities have issued warnings and advisories, urging the public to avoid harvesting and consuming wild shellfish from affected areas. Regular monitoring of shellfish waters and rigorous testing of commercially available shellfish are critical measures to protect public health. Consumers are advised to heed local advisories and purchase shellfish from reputable sources that conduct regular toxin testing. Public health agencies are raising awareness about PSP dangers and the importance of adhering to safety guidelines. The threat of Paralytic Shellfish Poison in clams, mussels, oysters, and other bivalves is a serious public health concern. The resilience of this toxin to conventional cooking methods underscores the need for vigilance in monitoring and regulation. As the frequency and intensity of harmful algal blooms appear to be on the rise, possibly linked to climate change, the risks associated with PSP may become more prevalent. Ensuring shellfish safety requires ongoing research, stringent regulations, and public education to prevent future poisoning incidents. Consumers are urged to stay informed and cautious, recognizing that the allure of fresh seafood must be balanced with an awareness of the potential risks associated with paralytic shellfish poisoning. Beware: Clams and Oysters Could Be Deadly Submit your Press Release to URBT News Click Here Read the full article

[bookpiofficial]

Role of Aerosolized Coal Fly Ash in the Global Plankton Imbalance: Case of Florida's Toxic Algae Crisis | Chapter 05 | Modern Research in Botany Vol. 1

Red tide is the term used in Florida (USA) and elsewhere to describe a type of marine harmful algal bloom (HAB) that grows out of control and produces neurotoxins that adversely affect humans, birds, fish, shellfish, and marine mammals. HABs are becoming more abundant, extensive, and closer to shore, and longer in duration than any time in recorded history. Our objective is to review the effects the multifold components of aerosolized coal fly ash as they relate to the increasing occurrences of HABs. Aerosolized coal fly ash (CFA) pollutants from non-sequestered coal-fired power plant emissions and from undisclosed, although “hidden in plain sight,” tropospheric particulate geoengineering operations are inflicting irreparable damage to the world’s surface water-bodies and causing great harm to human health (including lung cancer, respiratory and neurodegenerative diseases) and environmental health (including major die-offs of insects, birds and trees). Florida’s ever-growing toxic nightmare of red tides and blue-green algae is a microcosm of similar activity globally. Atmospheric deposition of aerosol particulates, most importantly bioavailable iron, has drastically shifted the global plankton community balance in the direction of harmful algae and cyanobacterial blooms in fresh and salt water. Proposed geoengineering schemes of iron fertilization of the ocean would only make a bad situation unimaginably worse. Based on the evidence presented here, the global spread of harmful algae blooms will only be contained by rapidly reducing particulate air pollution both by implementation of universal industrial particulate-trapping and by the immediate halting of jet-sprayed particulate aerosols. Corrective actions depend not only on international cooperation, but on ending the deadly code of silence throughout government, academe, and media on the subject of ongoing tropospheric aerosol geoengineering. Long-standing weather control, climate intervention, and geoengineering operations have come to threaten not only all humans but the entire web of life on Earth.

Author(s) Details

Mark Whiteside Florida Department of Health in Monroe County, 1100 Simonton Street Key West, FL 33040, USA.

J. Marvin Herndon Transdyne Corporation, 11044 Red Rock Drive, San Diego, CA 92131, USA.

View Volume: http://bp.bookpi.org/index.php/bpi/catalog/book/127

[nedsecondline]

The Deadly Toll of the Red Tide

The Deadly Toll of the Red Tide

Oops! Has everything to do with climate change but some will deny it until Florida floods and fries. In southwestern Florida, the harmful algal bloom has lasted about 10 months and continues to kill large amounts of marine life.

[catherinejasmineve]

The Deadly Toll of the Red Tide

The Deadly Toll of the Red Tide

The Deadly Toll of the Red Tide In southwestern Florida, the harmful algal bloom has lasted about 10 months and continues to kill large amounts of marine life. https://ift.tt/2NBtL7O