Deadly red tide has hit the marine ecosystem of Tampa Bay, Florida, where thousands of fish have died
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himThe climate crisis and human action have dried up the Sicilian river, from which lifeless fish emerge. A situation no different from that seen on the Florida coast, where the red tide killed thousands of fish.
THEAlcantara it is the second most important river in Sicily, but it is increasingly dry. Blame for climate change, which generated a wave of scorching heat and eliminated rainfall. But behind all this there is, of course, the hand of man: the Siciliacque company, the administrator of two hydroelectric power plants on the river, which use water for the production of electricity, is being accused.
In addition to this, the drought that is affecting crops in the region is leading many farmers to draw on river water to irrigate their fields, with the consequent depletion of the river resource. Result: the river, in many places completely dried up, is home to the corpses of fish and other marine animals by now dead, to the indifference of the local authorities. To report this many posts appeared on social networks that denounce this environmental havoc:
Negligent environmental disaster! This is how we can define what happened yesterday 19/06/2021 in Motta Camastra in the valley of ...
Posted by Ciccio Calabrese on Sunday, June 20, 2021
Alcantara River Nature Reserve. Can anyone tell me why at the bridge between Francavilla and ...
Posted by Giorgio Balestrini on Saturday, June 26, 2021
Thanks to sicilacque, the Alcantara River has dried up. Finally, it was time to stop this suffering of being ...
Posted by Orazio Mistretta on Sunday, July 18, 2021
From Sicily… to the USA
Instead, it is Karenia brevis (commonly called Alga Rossa) to claim victims among the inhabitants of the sea off Florida, in the United States. This is what emerges from the report published online by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which every week collects and analyzes samples of the waters of the bay, keeping in constant contact with local authorities and with those in charge of health.
The agency also has a telephone number available to contact in case of sighting of dead, sick or abnormal fish. The institute is also collaborating with the Mote Marine Laboratory in contrast to the red tide, to reduce its devastating effects on the ecosystem: in addition to monitoring the presence of algae in the bay, the laboratory provides information on the effects of the tide of red algae that sweeps the coasts of Florida, reporting the number of dead fish, cases of respiratory irritation among bathers, the color of the water, the direction of the wind. Finally, models are being developed to predict other potentially harmful algae blooms in the area, with a forecast reaching up to four days before the event.
Credits: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
The critical conditions facing the coasts have generated a wave of protests from environmentalists and citizens, who are pushing for local authorities to declare a state of emergency and do something concrete to stop the tide.
Fonti: Ragusa News / Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
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