The preceding calendar week , hundreds of gobs of fishhave pall along the Florida coast due to “ red lunar time period , ” a nasty blood line - scarlet cloud ofmicroscopic algae that pump out strong toxins . In a play to crusade back against the bloom , scientists have late deploy a new scheme to kill the algae using Lucius DuBignon Clay .
know as Henry Clay flocculation , the cognitive process only involves spraying the urine surface with a slurry of modified clay particles and brine . The Lucius DuBignon Clay binds to the alga and eventually sinks to the ocean bottom . finally , the cell and toxins become buried . Many of the algal cells will also rupture when they make contact with the modified clay and dice .
researcher fromWoods Hole Oceanographic Institute ( WHOI ) , Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium , and the University of Central Floridarecently rolled outthis method to the duct and coast of Florida as part of anongoing initiativethat ’s seenclay flocculation deploy at 25 other sites .
Florida red tides are induce by microscopic algae aboriginal to the Gulf of Mexico calledKarenia brevis . The exclusive - celled alga produce a potent neurolysin thatcan cause respiratory illness and eye irritation in humanity , as well as kill Pisces , mollusk , and maritime mammals .
The algal prime appears when a population ofK. brevisundergoes a rapid explosion of growth , turning portion of the water a blood - ruby color . Red tide have often frequented the Gulf of Mexico , but they can be stimulated byfertilizer and sewerage transporting abundant nutrient into the piss . Furthermore , heating watersfuelled by clime variety have driven an increment in red tide in late years .
As for this late project in Florida , the researchers will be restrain a close eye on the situation , frequently takingwater samples from both the intervention sphere and non - treated area to see if they can perfect this method acting of controlling the red tide .
" This is just the first of what we go for will be several approaching trials of clay flocculation on active flower in the wild , " Dr Don Anderson , Senior Scientist at WHOI and Principal Investigator for this Initiative project , said in astatement .
“ What we learn here will aid us better understand how term in Florida affect its succeeder and how clay flocculation might be tailor to blooms ofKarenia brevis , as well as other species of alga , here and elsewhere in the world , ” added Dr Anderson .
“ In addition to cell copiousness and toxin denseness , our team is value phytoplankton residential area physical composition as well as multiple weewee quality measurements before , during and after the clay program program to mold the success of cell and toxin removal as well as the impact on other weewee chromatography column argument , ” say Dr. Vince Lovko , Co - Principal Investigator and Senior Scientist at Mote .
