Red Tide
The recent bout of red tide on Florida’s Gulf Coast that killed fish and caused respiratory problems to people also brought up a long-standing subject of debate: Do Lake Okeechobee discharges cause red tide? Several scientific studies show that Lake…
To the death and destruction caused by the immediate impact of hurricanes, add the secondary impact of harmful algal blooms. No, hurricanes don’t cause red tide or blue-green algal blooms, but they can fuel them. As evidence, look at how…
2024 is about ready to rock and roll. And so are we. The Florida Legislature convenes Jan. 9 and session runs through March 8. Several dirty-water proposals have already been filed; more will follow. We’ll track them all, here in…
Ten years ago today, we were in the eye of the storm. The discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers had begun May 8; by early August 2013 the “Lost Summer” was in full swing, with…
First the good news: The record pace of manatee deaths in Florida has slowed. Two years ago Florida saw a record 1,100 manatee deaths. The primary cause of this “unusual mortality event” was starvation due to the loss of seagrass…
As red tide burns, our Legislature fiddles – and considers bills that could make things worse For months a nasty red tide has bloomed up and down much of Florida’s west coast, killing fish, causing respiratory distress and worse. You…
Ever noticed that when Mother Nature — and Florida water managers — dole out adversity, Big Sugar is always at the back of the line? It’s happening right now. After Hurricane Ian and then Hurricane Nicole slammed Florida, Lake Okeechobee…
And now, flesh-eating bacteria. Media reports this week note that Florida has seen 65 Vibrio vulnificus so far this year; the bacteria can cause sepsis, intestinal infections and necrotizing fasciitis. It’s the highest number of cases ever recorded in Florida,…
The following is a column by VoteWater Board President and Florida Sportsman Publisher Blair Wickstrom which originally appeared in the July 1 edition of Florida Sportsman Magazine. By Blair Wickstrom In the 1870s Dr. Cesare Lombroso, founder of the Italian…
We’ve met the enemy. And, go figure, he’s us: In a new study that is the first to explain what some have long suspected, researchers found that human activity helps sustain and intensify naturally occurring red tide blooms in Southwest…