What Causes a Red Tide?Explain

1. RHALYNN BLACKBURN
Red Tide-Non toxic foam

While “red tides” are typically considered dangerous due to the toxins that are released by dinoflagellates, one particular red tide event off the coast of California in 2007 had nothing to do with toxic secretions. Hundreds of seabirds from 15 different species were killed, and many more were rendered seriously ill, when the dinoflagellates also secreted a foam that, while not necessarily toxic, coated the birds with a slimy substance that interfered with the water repellency of their feathers. Because the birds were effectively water-logged, they were unable to fly or even keep their internal temperature regulated, making them “sitting ducks”. Obviously, there have been other, more devastating events through time related to red tides and the deadly toxins secreted in these algae blooms. However, this is still rather significant; if dedicated individuals had not noticed the unusual numbers of seabird deaths, investigated the situation and managed to rescue and nurse the affected birds back to health that had not succumbed, many more seabirds may have perished.

Reference:
Yong, E. (23 February, 2009). Red tides kill seabirds with ‘soapy’ foam. Phenomena, a science salon hosted by National Geographic Magazine. Retrieved on 13 August 2015 from http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2009/02/23/red-tides-kill-seabirds-with-soapy-foam/

2. WARREN TREADWELL
Florida and Red Tides

M7D1: Beware of the Red Tide
Here in Florida we live through red tides every year. Some years are worse than others are, and they effect both east and west coast as well as inland waterways. On the east coast of Florida there is a place called Mosquito Lagoon that is a wonderful place to fish, canoe, kayak, and paddleboard. It is a nature lover’s paradise, 73 square miles of natural beauty. In 2011, there was a “super bloom” that has devastated the lagoon the effects are still being felt today. The super bloom was blamed for 60% of the sea grass dying at a financial impact of a half-billion dollars and killed 135 manatees, 300 pelicans, 76 dolphins not to mention the aquatic life that depended on the sea grass for food and spawning area.
On the west coast of Florida, there was a red tide outbreak that killed 241 manatees during a relatively short time period. Again this bloom had long reaching impact on the ecosystem.
Red tides also impact humans and at times will make a beach uninhabitable when the blooms become airborne and causes repertory distress and at time irritates the skin.

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/lagoon/2014/05/03/indian-river-lagoon-went-wrong/8672245/
http://majikphil.blogspot.com/2013/04/red-tide-kills-florida-manatees-in.html

3. GARY BONE
Red Tide in the Sea of Azov

Due to its deep red color, red tide events in the past were often mistaken for religious signs of the apocalypse, and that water was turning to blood. Today, we know that red tides are relatively common in our oceans, rivers, and lakes. Given the right conditions, red tides can occur fairly frequently, although they are nearly impossible to forecast or predict. Otherwise known as Harmful Algae Blooms or HABs, red tides occur when the algae Karenia brevis blooms out of control. The triggers for this microscopic algae to reproduce uncontrollably is considered to be warmer than usual water temperatures, low salinity, high nutrient content, or a combination of these factors (Lallanilla, 2013). An significant increase in the number of red tides globally is also thought to be a result of the rising water temperature worldwide. The effects of HABs can range from mild to severe, even death in some cases. These algae blooms produce an extremely potent toxin that can infect certain shellfish that feed on microscopic organisms such as algae and plankton. When enough of the toxin has been accumulated, the shellfish may die of poisoning, or can infect other organisms when eaten, such as larger fish, manatees, birds or humans.
One significant red tide event occurred in what is considered the worlds shallowest lake – the Sea of Azov, located between Russia and Europe near Ukraine as an extension of the Black Sea. In July of 2012, locals observed a blood-red coastline as the algae blooms exploded, prompting some to conclude that the end of the times was near. Although this was not necessarily a severe algae bloom, the red tide in the Sea of Azov was part of a large string of red tides in the Eastern Hemisphere, but the first in this lake, which is unsettling as the coastal water is frozen from December to February. Many researchers suggest a much higher frequency of red tides will occur in the Sea of Azov due to its shallowness and large temperature fluctuations between spring and summer seasons (Bryce, 2012), which could also increase in severity as the conditions become more favorable.
Lallanilla, Marc (2013) What Causes a Red Tide? Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/34461-red-tide.html
Bryce, Emma (2012) A Red Tide Epidemic? Retrieved from http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/a-red-tide-epidemic/

4. WARREN TREADWELL
GBR and the Crown-of Thorns Starfish

After conducting the research for this assignment I found that the most of the reasons for the decline of the GBR is the same as for many of the other reefs around the world. As with everything, that ills the world right now the number one thing on the list is climate change. Having read GBR Australian government website I found that they are and have done many things to try to combat climate change and strengthen the reef to help it cope with the effects of climate change to include the GBR Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan 2012-2017. If you are interested in reading it here is the link to it. (http://elibrary.gbrmpa.gov.au/jspui/bitstream/11017/1140/1/GBR%20Climate%20Change%20Adaptation%20Strategy%20and%20Action%20Plan%202012-2017.pdf)
Here are the other concerns for the GBR from the Australian Government: Extreme weather, declining water quality, coastal development, illegal fishing, crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks, and marine debris. Out of those, I chose to look at the crown-of-thorns starfish. I recall watching a television show some time ago where it was talking about how devastating theses animals are on the reef. The figure from the website is that over the past 30 years, coral reef coverage has declined by 50 percent and these starfish caused almost 50 percent of that. They have short-term and long-term strategies for the starfish. The short-term are injections given to the starfish, which kill them. This is done by dedicated dive teams as well tourism operators and community based organizations that are trained and permitted. The long-term strategy includes understanding the cause of the starfish outbreaks, surveillance of the reef to detect outbreaks sooner to allow faster responses with the goal of a longer durations between outbreaks.

5. GARY BONE
Coral Reef Destruction and Recovery

Coral reefs provide numerous benefits to our planets. They protect shores from potential destruction from tsunamis and major storms, provide nutrients for the many species of fish and wildlife that call them home, and are major attractions visited by millions of tourists per year. As self-sustaining as these reefs are, they are fragile ecosystems, increasingly being threatened by our carelessness and ignorance. In short, coral reefs are dying at a global scale. Threats from carbon dioxide emissions, overfishing, pollution and coastal development have destroyed approximately 20% of the world’s coral reefs with no immediate likelihood of recovery (Shah, 2013)
The Great Barrier Reef is a potential survivor in a sea of dead and dying reefs in the Pacific and Indian oceans. This reef shares many threats as other coral reefs across the globe: climate change, pollution, overfishing and invasive species. However, Sydney University Professor Ove Hoege-Guldberg states “Reefs around the West Indies in the Caribbean look as though they will be gone by 2020 while the Great Barrier Reef will probably last for just another three decades” (Peschardt, 1999). This may be a disappointing statistic over 15 years ago, but the threat to these ecosystems is imminent. What precautions are Australians taking that could be echoed in other counties? First, they have enacted a 24% expansion of “no take” zones, which are sites where tourists and divers are strictly forbidden to remove pieces or sections of coral. They have also begun to provide funding for agricultural producers to reduce the runoff of potentially harmful chemicals. Programs to protect endangered species in the Great Barrier Reef have also been enacted, providing protection to dugong and sea turtles. I believe if more countries placed additional priority on nearby coral reef protection, we can observe a considerable recovery in these amazing environments.
Shah, Anup (2013) Coral Reefs: Ecosystems of Environmental and Human Value. Retrieved from http://www.globalissues.org/article/173/coral-reefs
Peschardt, Michael (1999) World: Asia-Pacific Climate change killing coral reefs. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/422759.stm

6. JOSHUA LAWSON
M7D2 Fate of the Great Barrier Reef

Coral reefs are often considered to be the “rainforests of the ocean” due to the sheer amount of biological diversity found there. The coral itself is the base of these ecosystems, made up of living polyps that build up the reef over time, creating the complex and beautiful ecosystem that exists today. However, this ecosystem is fragile. Coral polyps are very sensitive to both temperature change and seawater pH, and small changes in either can devastate large swaths of a reef, reducing it to little more than a graveyard. Reefs all around the world are being destroyed, and the Great Barrier Reef off of Queensland, Australia, is no exception, though perhaps it is easier to study this decline due to its massive size.
The Great Barrier Reef is actually a reef system, being made up of 2,900 individual reefs that stretch for roughly 1,400 miles over an area of 133,000 square miles. It is home to more than 3000 species of mollusks, 1625 species of fish, 100 species of jellyfish, 500 species of worms, 133 varieties of sharks and rays, and more than 30 species of whales, as well as 600 types of corals. However, this massive ecosystem is threatened from a number of sources. The first have been mentioned already, very small changes in temperature and ocean pH, with human-based CO2 emissions as a possible cause, are negatively effecting the reefs. Runoff from farms is also negatively effecting the quality of the water, as is dredging activities that surround a booming coal mining industry in Queensland. The reef is being attacked by particularly large swarms of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish, and it is speculated that these large swarms are caused by the runoff of dredging activities causing large phytoplankton blooms, which in turn nourish the starfish larvae and cause larger populations.
The solutions to this problem are not easy, and reducing CO2 emissions will be important, as well as curtailing dredging activities and controlling fertilizer use in on-land farms. However, these are large, long term strategies for dealing with an immediate problem. In the short term, not dropping anchor on reefs for fishing or tourism is something that can be done by an individual, as is supporting river cleanup efforts.
References:
Coral Reefs and Climate Change – How does climate change affect coral reefs – Teach Ocean Science. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2015, from http://www.teachoceanscience.net/teaching_resources/education_modules/coral_reefs_and_climate_change/how_does_climate_change_affect_coral_reefs/
Global Warming and Coral Reefs. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2015, from https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat/Coral-Reefs.aspx

Handwerk, for National Geographic PUBLISHED June 09, 2013, B. (2013, June 9). Great Barrier Reef: World Heritage in Danger? Retrieved August 11, 2015, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/06/130608-great-barrier-reef-australia-world-heritage-unesco-environment-science-global-warming/