Would Tides by any other Name Smell so Stinky?

What is coarse, toxic, sweeps up marine life in its wake and kills? If you guessed a broom, we’re done here. If you answered pollution, you’re close. If you said red tides, you’re dead on. Never heard of this menacing algae? Let me introduce you.

Every summer at the height of tourist season, a tangle of brownish algae and dead fish cascades onto the Gulf Coast’s pristine beaches; the stink is overwhelming. My mother used to say “That’s enough to gag a maggot.” What makes these algae such a menace? They produce one of the deadliest toxins known to man.

“Beach Buddies” 16×20 mixed media on canvas

These harmful algal blooms or HABS wreak havoc on local fishing industries to the tune of $82 million each year. The toxins effect the central nervous system of fish, killing them in vast numbers; limiting the quantities of fresh fish that fisheries depend on. Toxins also may poison shellfish like clams, oysters, and mussels, and make the humans who eat them sick.

The red tide masses effect marine ecosystems in a number of ways. Dense blooms can block sunlight that benefit good algae and sea grasses needed for food. Wildlife and marine mammals like seabirds, manatees, turtles and dolphins may get sick or even die. Humans may suffer severe respiratory or skin ailments. In addition to that, red tides are downright unsightly.

My first reaction to walking on the beach after a red tide wash up was repulsion. Hundreds of stinky dead fish trapped in strange-looking seaweed covered the white sand driving me and many other tourists back to our hotels. Like them, I wanted to know what this stuff was, what it did, and how we could stop it.

“Sea Swirls” 24×18 acrylic on canvas

Red tides are composed of microscopic algae known as dinoflagellates; their scientific name: karenia brevis. The algal cells are asexual. They produce simply by dividing. To complicate matters, each cell is capable of movement via two flagella that propels them through the water. There is no brainwork involved in this confluence or joining of forces. They drift with the water’s ebb and flow, bumping together to form large clumps or “blooms” as their numbers increase.

What makes dinoflagellates different from other microscopic algae? At least two things: their rapid growth and their toxicity both of which raise more questions than answers. Why do these organisms suddenly explode into a massive growing binge? What triggers this growth and why does it produce toxins in some algae and not in others?

Biologists and scientists believe pollution of our waterways may be the leading factor. Pesticides, fertilizers and chemicals are washed into surrounding rivers and lakes and eventually find their way into the sea. At the mouth of these inlets and tributaries, red tides get their first burst of growth which certainly points to pollution as the cause.

But there’s a catch: red tides are not a new phenomenon. Fish kills from deadly algae were recorded in 1840 and as long ago as the Spanish explorers who wrote about them in their logs. After years of red tides research, there is still no conclusive evidence or link to pollution. Like many quirks of nature, the trigger may be from natural causes or a series of events that are little understood.

“Sea Nymph” 24 x 18 acrylic on canvas

The Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) in Florida conducts Red Tide Reports on a regular basis during critical growing periods. Using satellite imagery, high levels of chlorophyll are monitored for possible resurgence of red tides. With the help of modern technology, experts record the size, rate of growth, and location of these HABS.

FWRI works in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the supervision of the U.S. Department of Commerce. NOAA’s goal is to “provide the tools to prevent, control, or mitigate the occurrence of HABS.” Because red algae can be found in almost any waterway, research labs are positioned worldwide.

If you would like information about red tides in your own locale, go to   noaa.gov.

What is the missing component that explains why red tides grow faster and wilder during certain times of the year? Is pollution the cause as some suggest? Or is it increased water temperature that naturally encourages the growth of most algae? Until the mystery is solved, Gulf residents and vacationers around the globe must continue to endure the irritation, the blight and the stink of red tides.

Sometimes Amazing Things are Right Under our Nose

Randy Wayne White, author of the Doc Ford Mystery Novels

When I was in rehab after having rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder, I learned that my physical therapist worked as a Chef evenings and weekends at a restaurant called Doc Ford’s. Through my therapist, I discovered who Doc Ford was (a character in a novel), and why the author was so important to this establishment.

http://www.randywaynewhite.com/Site2/About_Randy.html

Today there are three Doc Ford restaurants: the first on Sanibel Island, the 2nd on Fort Myers Beach, and the third on Captiva Island; all three within a short distance from my home.

On the Doc Ford’s web site, Randy gives an informal bio on his life and works: “Before I started writing novels, I used to sell fish right here where you’re sitting -well, in this building, anyway.

“For more than 12 years, I was a light-tackle fishing guide just down the road at Tarpon Bay Marina. I did more than 3,000 charters; spent 300 days a year boating these waters. When my clients chose not to keep what they’d caught, I’d load the fish in my pickup, tap on the back door of this place, and ask the chef if he was in a buying mood.

“I love the symmetry of that; I helped provide seafood here way back in the 1970’s, and now, because I’ve joined this excellent team of restaurateurs and staff, I have the opportunity to play a small role in providing fresh fish here once again.

“So welcome to Doc Ford’s. Just as my novels are inspired by these islands, my days on the water, and the people I came to know, the spirit of this fine sports bar was inspired by the marine biologist who is the main character of those novels.

“Doc Ford is the baseball-loving, tropical adventurer who – not so surprisingly – has spent a lot of time in the same far flung places that I wrote about when I was monthly columnist for places such as Cuba, Cambodia, South Africa, Australia, Vietnam, Borneo, and all over South and Central America. It was while traveling for that I came to know and love the superb cuisine of the rural tropics.

“I loved the sauces, the spices, and the passion that went into the food preparation. We hope that spirit is part of Doc Ford’s Sanibel Rum Bar and Grille, too. But the real hearts, heads and souls behind this establishment, though, aren’t fictional. They are real people; people savvy enough to envision a whole new concept in bars. “A rum bar? What’s a rum bar?” We were asked.

“They are people creative enough to design an entirely different kind of sports bar concept. ‘You’re gonna have gourmet finger foods? Sports bars don’t serve great food,’ we were told. Well, this one does.

“So credit Marty and Brenda Harrity, and Mark Marinello, along with Chef Greg Nelson for having the vision, and then finding the energy, taste and chutzpah to make that vision reality.

“Being with them reminds me of my old marina family, back when I was a fishing guide at Tarpon Bay. They’re quirky and fun and gifted. They’ve made it work, and I’m proud to have played a small part.

–Randy Wayne White

“Hey, Coconut, Mon” mixed media on canvas

Randy’s novels feature marine biologist Dr. Marion Ford, quirky pal Tomlinson, and his friends at Dinkin’s Bay. The Doc Ford novels have enjoyed a growing cult following since the first book appeared in 1990.

Randy’s eighteenth novel, NIGHT VISION, was published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons in the Spring of 2011 to reviews that continue to cement his position as “one of the hottest writers in America” (Booklist). His previous novels, BLACK WIDOW, HUNTER’S MOON, DARK LIGHT, EVERGLADES, TWELVE MILE LIMIT, SHARK RIVER, TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS, THE MANGROVE COAST, NORTH OF HAVANA, CAPTIVA, and others have accumulated devoted fans worldwide. About Randy, the Denver Post wrote “He is a major new talent who has produced a virtually perfect piece of work.” The Tampa Tribune called Randy, “the rightful heir to John D. MacDonald.”

A collection of essays, Batfishing in the Rainforest also received excellent reviews. Paul Theroux (author of The Mosquito Coast) wrote: “Batfishing in the Rainforest contains equal parts of comedy and courage. Randy White is not simply a wonderful writer; he is a fishing guide of genius.”

Non-fiction books include, BATFISHING IN THE RAINFOREST, THE SHARKS OF LAKE NICARAGUA, LAST FLIGHT OUT, AN AMERICAN TRAVELER.

Randy was a monthly columnist for Outside Magazine, and traveled the world, writing about natural history, archaeology, anthropology, travel and politics. He covered the America’s Cup in Australia, and has written about Africa, Sumatra, Singapore, Central America, Vietnam, Borneo, Malaysia, the Caribbean, and South America. He has dog sledded in Alaska and brought back refugees from Cuba.

http://youtu.be/9XJG_AaBQFg