It was in June of this year that I met a friend of mine and his family at Siesta Key Beach on the west coast of Florida not far from Sarasota. For several years now, I have been meeting my friends there. This year was much different though. There were dead fish in the water—just about everywhere I looked. At the time it was safe to go in the water but certainly not fun to dodge fish that were bellies up. As I am writing this, officials are warning folks not to go in the water at Siesta Key Beach. The situation has gotten worse.
What is going on at Siesta Key Beach, often voted one of the best beaches in the country, is a result of both Mother Nature and man’s doing. Red tide algae, a particularly toxic algae, has been growing fast for months and causing harm to sea life and humans. Tons of fish, manatees, dolphins, turtles and even a whale shark have washed up on beaches. The red tide algae in the Gulf of Mexico, along with blue-green algae that has spread throughout fresh water streams, rivers and canals from Lake Okeechobee and westward toward the Gulf, are putting a big hurt on businesses dependent on tourists.
Red tide algae can cause skin, respiratory and other health problems. The blue-green algae can be damaging as well. Researchers believe long-term exposure may be linked to serious conditions including Alzheimer’s and ALS. Who would want to be anywhere near that?
Fed by Land-Based Nutrients
For an article on the algae, I spoke with Cris Costello, Organizing Manager, Florida Chapter, Sierra Club. She told me a lot of land-based nutrient pollution is feeding the algae. It comes from manure, under-treated sewage, fertilizer and malfunctioning septic systems. Many of the nutrients come from Lake Okeechobee discharges.
“The more people we have, the more nutrient pollution we have,” she says. “The more impervious surfaces we have, the greater the runoff. It runs right off the land and goes into receiving water bodies—streams, creeks, ponds, the coast. That runoff has been happening for a long time. We need to stop pollution at its source. We have not stopped it.”
Conditions including 90-degree water temperatures and optimal nitrogen and phosphorous levels make conditions right for algae populations to explode. “We are in the perfect storm,” Costello says. “We had a bad problem in 2008. It has gotten worse. The flow of pollutants has gotten worse.”
The algae explosions already have lasted 10 months and could continue into 2019. The ones that occurred a little more than a decade ago persisted for a year and a half. That is scary news if you own or operate a coastal hotel, inn, restaurant, shop, etc.
Emergency Orders Issued
As noted in my article, the outbreaks have prompted Florida’s Governor Rick Scott to issue emergency orders and VISIT FLORIDA has launched two programs to assist local tourism development boards in counties including Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Sarasota, Manatee, Hillsborough and Pinellas. The Tourism Recovery Grant Program for Red Tide and Red Tide Recovery Marketing Program are designed to assist each affected county with marketing their destination once red tide has subsided. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is providing bridge loans and the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association is directing its members to the information and resources necessary to help them navigate this emergency effectively.
Algae problems are not unique to Florida. It was four years ago when Toledo’s water system sucked up blue-green algae and contaminated drinking water with microcystin, a toxin that can cause liver and kidney damage. The scare, according to Bridge Magazine, prompted residents to rely on bottled water for three days and cost about $65 million, mostly in lost tax revenue and tourism. The algae were fed by phosphorous-rich runoff from farm fields.
I heard recently that 200 people a day move to Florida. That is a net gain per day. And, last year Florida set another tourism record with 116.5 million visitors. Will they keep coming?
While there are some environmental factors Floridians cannot control, what is clear is that Florida’s waterways have been neglected and not enough people in power have stood up to protect them. Shameful. Meanwhile, Southwest Florida’s tourism industry and the state’s wildlife are paying a terrible price.
Green Lodging News Adds GoSpace as Directory Partner
Green Lodging News welcomes GoSpace to its Green Product & Service Directory in the Electric Vehicle Charging Stations category. GoSpace is a national provider of electric vehicle charging solutions, serving the hospitality, retail & public use sectors. Trusted by industry leaders such as AAA, Nissan & Volkswagen to manage their EV charger programs, GoSpace has the experience to offer a turn-key solution that best fits a customer’s needs. GoSpace offers free consultation. Call (813) 421-5121, e-mail energize@gospacego.com or go to www.gospacego.com for more details.
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