Florida’s Tampa Bay has been battling toxic red tide bloom for weeks now. Hundreds of tons of dead fish and other marine organisms, as well as debris, have been washing ashore routinely, causing trouble for beachgoers. So now, some counties are turning to modern technology solutions like drones to keep their beaches clean.
What is a red tide bloom? What makes it harmful?
A red tide, or harmful algal bloom, is a higher-than-normal concentration of a microscopic alga (plantlike organism) in the water. In Florida, the species that causes the maximum number of red tides is Karenia Brevis. In 2018, a massive red tide bloom in the state killed 200 tons of marine life and caused $8 million in economic losses. This year, an overgrowth of toxic algae was detected in the Tampa Bay area as early as May, right before Memorial Day weekend.
As deadly as red tides are for marine life, they produce toxic chemicals that can affect humans too. When these toxins are released…
