The
largest toxic algal bloom since 1986 has spread along the
Texas Gulf Coast from Matagorda Bay to Okaloosa and Walton
counties in the Florida Panhandle, as well as Galveston
Bay and other inlets. The bloom, known as red tide, is large
enough to be detected on satellite imagery.
Millions of fish have been killed by the tide, which affects
their central nervous systems. Their bodies have washed
up along Gulf Coast beaches where they lie rotting. Oyster
harvesting in Galveston Bay has been shut down since September
5th after the bloom was first observed. In 1986, a similar
algal bloom killed an estimated 22 million fish within four
months.
Dave
Buzan, spokesman for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Kills and Spills Team, said, "We do not have an accurate
number yet. But we are estimating several million fish
have been killed so far."
Toxins
from the tide cause a variety of symptoms in humans, including
respiratory distress, nausea, fever, muscle paralysis
and, in extreme cases, even death. People with chronic
respiratory problems, such as asthma or emphysema, were
advised to take precautions to avoid beaches where the
tide is proliferating.
Kay
Moore, an employee at Half Hitch Tackle near Fort Walton
Beach, Florida, said, "If you've ever breathed it,
it's easy to recognize. It's like breathing battery acid
or something."
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