Experts fear brown tide, red tide could merge in Fla.

摘要

Experts worry that a brown tide reported off the shores of Manatee County could worsen the ongoing red tide crisis. The annual brown tide event, a Trichodesmium bloom, could be "very bad news" in the middle of the red tide that has been killing marine life, said Kathleen Rein, a chemist at Florida International University. Trichodesmium is classified as cyanobacteria. As it degrades, it could provide nutrients to the Karenia brevis fueling the red tide. "Its growth is believed to be [stimulated] by iron in Saharan dust," said Rein. "It fixes nitrogen, then the fixed nitrogen can be used by Karenia brevis to help it grow. Lef s hope the two blooms don't find each other" (Mark Young, Miami Herald. Aug. 24).