As Hurricane Michael approaches, many are wondering what effect this storm will have on this harmful bloom.
According to marine biologists, there may be two different scenarios that play out: one positive and the other negative.
The positive would be strong offshore winds that would help to break up the algae and push it away from the coastline. On the flip side, if the track alters and winds blow onshore, this could push the bloom inland into interior channels and canals.
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The bigger concern is whether Hurricane Michael becomes a heavy rainmaker leading to flooding. Runoff from agricultural areas could send fertilizer filled with nutrients to the beaches and coastline. If these nutrients reach the toxic algae, they would feed the bloom and cause it to grow.
Whatever the effect Hurricane Michael will have on the Red Tide, it is something experts and locals will closely watch over the coming days and weeks.
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