Harmful algae bloom off south-west coast blamed for deaths of marine life and poses threat to beaches.

Environmentalists in Florida are calling on the governor, Ron DeSantis, to declare an emergency as a worsening “red tide” algae bloom off the state’s south-west coast threatens popular tourist beaches and is being blamed for the deaths of wildlife including fish and dolphins.

Several counties have issued health alerts in response to the outbreak, which scientists say began in the Gulf of Mexico last year when Hurricanes Helene and Milton tore up nutrient-rich waters that feed the algae.

The Florida fish and wildlife conservation commission (FWC) has been monitoring a sizable patch of red tide, a naturally occurring phenomenon caused by overproduction of the harmful algae Karenia brevis, along a stretch of the Gulf coast. Dead fish have washed up on several beaches, and the outbreak is suspected in the deaths of two dolphins found offshore in Collier county.

 

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