Art Avenue - The Red Tide - Sarasota, FL 2019
Sarasota, FL
January 24, 2019
The Red Tide
Red tide is an environmental disaster—one fueled by rising ocean temperatures, industrial damage, and toxic spills, creating a perfect storm of destruction.
As pollution increases, our oceans become more acidic, and warmer waters provide the ideal conditions for harmful algae to thrive. This rapid algae growth blankets the ocean’s surface, depleting oxygen and suffocating marine life. In 2018, an extreme algae bloom in the Gulf of Mexico devastated the entire West Coast, killing countless fish, dolphins, and manatees.
We are witnessing the consequences of 150 years of industrialization. Yet, nature has two key allies in recovery—oxygen-producing forests that absorb carbon dioxide and our oceans, which generate much of the planet’s oxygen. These ecosystems are deeply interconnected, and the damage is alarming: deforestation, global warming, melting icebergs, coral reef die-offs, and acidifying seas.
If scientists are correct, we have just 15 years to implement drastic changes to keep our planet livable for future generations.