How Long Will FL Red Tides Last? Uncertain, But Fall Holds No Promise Of Relief
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Florida's lack of seasonal variability — a plus for many residents — is helping the red tide stick around. Colder temperatures in November might shrink the bloom, which is estimated to be 150 miles long and 12 miles wide. A hurricane could also help break it up.
The bloom, though long in duration and large in magnitude, is not yet record-breaking. Between 2005 and 2006, Florida experienced a bloom that lasted over a year and also proved toxic to wildlife and tourism. The event created a dead zone along the Gulf of Mexico coast from New Port Richey south to Sarasota. That bloom began to break up once Hurricane Katrina stirred the waters. The Category 5 hurricane was able to move the ocean around enough to restore oxygen levels to some areas.
At some point, the current bloom will grow too large and crash. It could become too dense for oxygen to make it through, or it could be attacked by a virus.
If one thing is for certain, it is that experts don't know when the bloom will end. Without knowing exactly where the nutrients feeding it are coming from, "it is very hard to be able to predict how long this going to last," said Don Anderson, a senior scientist with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
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https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060098227
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