"I've been flying over Florida's waterways my whole life, and nothing breaks my heart more than seeing water turn green, brown, or blood-red from algae blooms. The smell is awful, the fish die, the manatees suffer, and beaches close for weeks. These events aren't natural disasters — they're caused by choices we make on land, every single day. Today I want to make sure you understand what's happening and why."
Algae Blooms & Red Tide — Florida's Invisible Crisis
Algae are microscopic plant-like organisms found naturally in all aquatic environments. At normal levels, algae are an essential part of the food web. But when conditions are right — too many nutrients, warm temperatures, and calm water — algae can multiply explosively into a 'bloom' that transforms entire waterways. Florida experiences two main types: Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in freshwater systems dominated by cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), and red tide (Karenia brevis) along the Gulf Coast. Both have devastating ecological impacts and serious public health implications. Understanding what causes them — and how to prevent them — is one of the most important environmental issues in Florida today.
