Thousands Line Beaches For Hands Along The Water Rally

SARASOTA, FL -- As concerned residents began lining up for the Sunday, Aug. 12, Hands Along the Water rally, they were horrified to see the toll red tide was taking on the marine life along the Gulf Coast.

The stench from dead and dying marine life littering Englewood Beach combined with the toxicity of the red tide algae blooms forced many to don surgical masks.

“The dead sea life lay at our feet,” said Charlene Brown, sharing a photo of a one of red tide’s victims. A newly hatched sea turtle survived the treacherous nighttime march to the sea only to succumb to the toxic effects of red tide.

“It was tough to see all the dead sea creatures,” agreed Delynn Solomon at the rally in Venice. “The smell from the red tide and dead fish was overwhelming.”

However, the tragedy was infused with hope as thousands gathered on beaches in Manasota, Sarasota and Pinellas counties and joined hands for 15 minutes in solidarity against the ecological disaster.

Dunedin resident Gaily Hanna organized a rally at the Dunedin Causeway at the last minute and said it was rewarding to see so many people respond.

“We had a wonderful turnout this morning,” she said. “Thank you to those who took time out of their morning to come show their support for what is happening to our beautiful waters here in Florida, and its inhabitants. These animals that are suffering cannot speak for themselves, so it is our job to raise awareness.”

Sarasota County alone has now removed more than 66 tons of fish from county beaches due to red tide including Siesta Beach, Lido and South Lido Beach, Nokomis Beach and Turtle Beach.

And, while the beaches are open, beach-goers are warned to take care going into the water because red tide can irritate the skin and affect breathing.

Some people are more susceptible to the effects than others.

“I know of at least five from Anna Maria Island last Friday,” said resident Wendy Patterson. “My daughter has been in bed for a week and now both ears are infected.”

The good news is the red tide hasn’t fully moved to Pinellas County beaches. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says samples from Pinellas beaches show low concentrations.

Red tide is a naturally occurring microscopic algae that has been documented along Florida’s Gulf Coast since 1844 and occurs nearly every year, according to the FWC.

Red tide blooms can last days, weeks or months, and can change daily due to wind conditions and water currents.

The organism produces a toxin that can affect the central nervous systems of fish, birds, mammals and other marine life.

The FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota monitor red tide and are working on ways to mitigate the impact of the algae bloom.

On Tuesday, Aug. 14, Mote researchers will test a new method to destroy the algae using ozone.

Mote scientists are also trying to determine if man-made nutrient discharges enhance or prolong red tide blooms.

Many environmental activists assert that runoff from U.S. Sugar’s farms into Lake Okeechobee and discharges and spills into the bay from Mosaic Phosphate have contributed to the severity of red tide in recent years.

Images via Wolfgang Deininger, Paul Bourgeois, Charlene Brown‎, Dawn Dove Tesauro, Gaily Hanna

Video via Mike Byrd