The heavy spread of toxic algae off the coast of Florida has killed hundreds of animals this summer.
Algae contain dangerous brevetoxins that cause breathing problems in animals and humans.
This algae is also known as Red Tide. This is the name of a water bloom caused by an outbreak of dinophyte algae. A red tide does not necessarily color the water red; algae-contaminated yellow or green waters also occur.
Flowering usually begins in October and diminishes by April. But this year it continues in the summer, especially in the Tampa and Sarasota areas. The researchers say this is due to an overall rise in temperature.
Since early summer, hundreds of dead sea turtles and a huge number of fish have been fished out of the water in blooming areas. And recently, a manatee floating corpse was discovered here.
Another severely weakened manatee was taken to SeaWorld Orlando for treatment.
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Algae and dolphins die.
In the photo below, a sick loggerhead turtle or a loggerhead sea turtle found in the water. According to scientists, more than a hundred such turtles have died here this year, and almost 300 since October last year, when flowering began.
In the early years, according to Kelly Sloane, a sea turtle researcher, no more than 30-35 sea turtles were killed by toxic algae in a year.
“And this year, in June and July alone, we counted 53 loggerhead bodies. It's really depressing when you see this mass death. It is now ten months since the Red Tide continues and this is the longest flowering period since 2006."
Toxic algae are also dangerous to humans. You can get seriously ill if you swim in water with these algae or eat poisoned fish.