WiLD Blog

Inspired by various articles regarding research on red tides and causes of toxicity, I want to share with you a comprehensive collection of articles printed in the LA Times a year ago that improved my understanding of the age-old phenomenon.

In the compelling 5-article series titled Altered Oceans found in the Los Angeles Time, researchers presented yet another reason why runoff from modern life such as agricultural runoff is bad – it’s the main culprit in the boom in algal blooms in the last few years. 

These runoffs contain rich organic materials like nitrogen, phosphorous, and other nutrients that practically foster and fuel the growth of algae and bacteria.  Because of the abundance of food and nutrients, algal growth has exploded and incredibly toxic species have begun to emerge where they used to be suppressed.  The fireweed, for example, is an incredibly extreme and dangerous type of algae that when touched or exposed to, causes anything from burning eyes to swelling legs and tongues. 

Not all algal blooms or red tides are nearly as toxic.  They are actually quite natural in their normal rates of occurrence but the reason we are afraid is because they are occurring at an alarmingly higher rate than before and affecting a much larger range of species, including humans.

Fishes are dying.  Jellyfish overgrowth is suffocating other marine species.  Gray whales are washed ashore.  Manatees are found bleeding from their nostrils.  Sea Lion brain chemicals are altered due to exposure to toxic algae.  Still not compelling enough for you?  How about this – your next paradise vacation to the Florida Keys may result in algae intoxication along with the other 60,000 Americans affected each year.  The rate of algal blooms in coastal Florida has increased so significantly that families are driven away from their vacation homes and long-time residents are forced to consider moving inland.  Mild exposure to the toxicity is simple because “many algae produce an arsenal of toxins carried ashore by sea breeze.”  The symptoms of intoxication vary – from shellfish poisoning to paralysis or coma – toxic algal blooms are keeping our coastal paradises unsafe for us to venture.  What’s next?  Will we sport face masks to the store?  Will we leave our children with nothing but a legend of “the once sound and peaceful coastal lifestyle?”

We know why there are coastal blooms.  We know that they are becoming more intense and dangerous at their rising rate.  We also know that the only people who can make a difference are the people in power, or do we?  Actually, while waiting for our politicians to act we the people can pull our part to make a change.  Yes, the government has the say on tightening regulations as to what can and cannot be flushed into the ocean, but we consumers should be progressive and think before we buy.  It is a matter of a split second to choose between the organic apple or the regularly-farmed apple, the regular milk or the organic milk.  Go for the organic.  By supporting organic farming you are saying you want clean oceans, fewer dangerous algal blooms, and more time on the beach.

Smart shopping tips for individuals who care:

1. Buy organic
2. Shop for seafood at FishWise partnered grocery stores -
3. Have the Seafood Watch pocket guide handy when you are shopping for seafood -
4. Reduce plastic consumption by bringing your own organic and 100% recyclable shopping bags to the store: try Trader Joe’s, Costco, and your local farmer’s market.  Most stores reimburse you for using your own bags!  Read more -
5. Shop at Farmer’s markets to support locally grown and healthy produce

Always remember: slower the demand, slower the supply.  Every decision you, your friends, and your family make affects the overall production rate.  It’s how I remind myself I’m making a difference.

Fiona Teng

A study released says that coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean are dying faster than previously though. In the past two decades 20 percent of coral has disappeared from the Pacific Ocean. More than 600 square miles of coral reefs has disappeared since the 60’s. Losses in well-protected areas such as the Great Barrier Reef were just as bad as losses in poorly managed areas like the Philippines. The United Nations estimates that nearly a third of all coral has been lost and by 2030 an estimated 60 percent of coral cover will be gone.

There are many reasons behind the decline of coral reefs. Global climate change, storm damage, agricultural runoff, predators and diseases are the main factors influencing this rapid decline. Warming waters cause coral to “bleach” and lose their color, often resulting in death or reduced reproduction. In addition the ocean absorbs carbon from the atmosphere, which causes the ocean to become more acidic and thus dissolving the coral’s calcium skeleton. Agricultural runoff dumps massive amounts of nutrients into the ocean, fueling massive algae blooms that block out light for coral. Overfishing has exacerbated this problem, since no predators are left to feed on algal blooms.

Coral reefs are dying at an unprecedented rate around the world.

It’s so hard to describe how disheartening this news is to me.

Coral reefs are a source of life for people. Ecotourism and fishing provide money for families to make a living. Coral reef islands are homes for people as they have been for hundred of years. They’re homes to an amazingly diverse group of animals and plants. They’re also a source of amazement and joy to the people that visit them.

I stayed on a coral reef island for a few days when I studied abroad, and I will never forget the amazing things I saw. I was gathering algae for a research project during high tide on the reef and when I looked up I saw a sea turtle hovering in front of me, quietly contemplating me as I slowly reached out and scratched it shell (I’ve been told that sea turtles enjoy having the algae scratched off their shells by divers). I’ve seen eagle rays jump six feet out of the water and silently watched female sea turtles digging nests on the beach. I’ve seen a 600-pound grouper hunting at night and swam beside a five-foot shark. I’ve seen a giant clam the size of a small child and dove through a school of simmering fish. Just floating above the reef and watching the sheer abundance of life weave their way around you as they go about living is indescribable.

I’m unable to do justice to all the crazy things I saw. I’m just telling stories. There are so many things I can’t convey in words. It’s the difference between seeing it on the TV screen and actually experiencing the realness of it. I think there was a point where I just stopped and thought, “This is real”. Before, all I’ve ever seen of the reef was in National Geographic and nature shows I watched as a kid. It’s unbelievable to think that someday, the only things left of coral reefs will be stories, pictures, movies and memories. One day, people won’t be able to go out and see all these things anymore, simply because the reefs will one day cease to exist. They’re already on their way there.

I’ve read too many reports and seen too many news stories on disappearing reefs. Whenever I see another one, all I can think to myself is, “This is unreal.”

Calvin Lee