Scientists have finally uncovered the reason behind mysterious red tides washing up on Florida’s coastline.
The blood-red waves have been known to be both destructive to the environment and costly for local officials, but the exact cause had baffled researchers.
But for the first time, scientists have identified almost a dozen viruses associated with the red tide events, and found they are triggered by a massive growth in algae.
The color of the tides is fueled by water currents and nutrients in the sea, as well as rising sea temperatures, that combine to turn the algae red.
Authorities have been forced to close a number of beaches in recent years, with the red tides known to cause health issues in fish, birds and even humans.
Jean Lim, a postdoctoral researcher at the USF College of Marine Science, hailed the findings as a breakthrough that could allow researchers to predict when the events will spark up again.
‘We know that viruses play an important role in the dynamics of harmful algal blooms, but we haven’t known what viruses might be associated with Karenia brevis blooms,’ she said, per The Independent.
‘Now that we’ve identified several viruses in red tide blooms, we can work to determine which viruses might have an influence on these events.’
Scientists have finally uncovered the reason behind mysterious red tides washing up on Florida’s coastline, linking them to almost a dozen viruses that interact with algae
Florida experiences red tide events almost every year, and generally occur in the late summer and early fall off the central and southwestern coasts of the state, which can affect hundreds of square miles
Florida experiences red tide events almost every year, and generally occur in the late summer and early fall off the central and southwestern coasts of the state, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission which partnered in the study.
The blooms tend to last between three to five months and can affect hundreds of square miles, the commission found.
They can cost authorities millions of dollars to remedy, and were most recently found last month stretching across over 200 miles from Tampa Bay to Key West.
The study identified the organism responsible for the red tides as Karenia brevis, which were collected during past red tide events.
To find the viruses, the researchers reportedly used a technique called viral metagenomics, which analyzes the sample’s DNA.
The blood-red waves have been known to be both destructive to the environment and costly for local officials, but the exact cause had baffled researchers until a recent study made the connection with the viruses
The study was published in the American Society for Microbiology’s journal mSphere, and experts reportedly hope to determine how exactly the viruses affect organisms to turn tide blooms red.
Establishing that link would allow scientists to accurately predict when the destructive events could occur in the future.
One of the authors of the study, Shen Jean Lim, explained to The Independent: ‘For example, an increase in the number of viruses found in a sample might suggest that a red tide bloom is about to begin, or that it is going to end.’