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Large Algae Bloom in Destin, FL (1 Viewer)

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Alicia

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I'm vacationing in Destin and there is a huge algae bloom. Bummer. God needs to turn the lights off for a bit or something and readjust his water parameters. LOL. Still beautiful and peaceful though. I've seen lots of amazing fish snorkeling. I saw a huge pod of dolphins this morning and some playing and breaching the water. Amazing!!!
 

dayton

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I love it there, I went every year for a long time. We just had our first 2 kids so still a little small to go back (maybe next year) That place is awesome!
 

Diesel

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I told you to bring a UV sterelizer, you might never know!!
 

CBBSteve

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Hi, Alicia.
What does a large algae bloom look like? Is the water all green and cloudy? Full of slime?
 

Tangs

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I don't know where Destin is but will look it up. Is it possible the Algae bloom is man made or we had something to do with it? From what I have seen Nature has a way of balancing things out.
 

dayton

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I would say its nature, its kinda close to that "arm pit" of Florida. I hate to say it that way because it makes it sound ugly which it is absolutely beautiful there.....(clear throat....I mean its horrible, no one should go.........ever) :dance:
 

CBBSteve

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We saw the same thing when we were in Pensacola at the end of July. Green slime in the water all up and down the beach. And the water itself was kind of greenish. I believe it's from the heavy rains that area had in May and June. Lotsa nutrients washed out of the pine forests in northern Fla and southern Georgia. Pensacola Bay, East Bay, and Santa Rosa sound were all stained brown - looked like coffee.

That area is so pretty, but to see that water all messed up like that was kinda disappointing.
 

Tangs

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Ya sounds like the general area Cloe Chantell is from. South florida (Orlando/tampa south) is a hang out of mine and very few things I have not gone to see there. I must admit I have never seen any algae blooms down there ever. The waters are always crystal clear just I have a problem with being potential shark food. So as of 2 years ago when I do swim it is at the hotel pool thank you. No mo ocean swim for this dude.
 

OceansX

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Destin has a beautiful beach that is better than many other world renowned beaches.
(I was there a decade ago, and don't know what it is like now.)

Sadly, a long-term bloom is probably man-made a combination of over-development
of coastal areas and the increased nutrient run-off from the Mississippi:

Dead zone (ecology) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


:(
 

neopterygii

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Is it this stuff:
MDBWeeds.jpg

The June Grass Grossness Index | The June Grass Report

What is June Grass?
Filamentous, floating marine algae from the genus Cladophora is called “June Grass” in Florida. It is not really a grass and it is present on Panhandle beaches in June and many other warm months.
Is June Grass harmful to people?
No, June Grass is not harmful to people who are enjoying the beach. Consuming it is probably not a good idea. It will get in your hair and in your bathing suit if you choose to swim while there is a lot of it in the water.
The worst thing about June Grass is that it can be smelly when it accumulates in large concentrations along the shore and begins to rot. This process can be harmful to fish and other marine life because the bacteria that are decomposing the alga can deplete the oxygen in the water in a process called eutrophication. I have seen this happen once on the west side of the Destin jetties in 2006 and on some Walton County Beaches in 2012.
Odor and slime aside, June Grass is actually very beneficial to our beautiful beaches. It brings nutrients to the animals and plants, both micro and macroscopic, that live along the tide line. These animals are part of the ecosystem that supports familiar and beloved Gulf and beach-dwellers such as ghost crabs, “sand fleas”, clams, shorebirds, sport fish, dolphins, and sea turtles. It also provides a substrate to lessen the erosion of the beach during storms (which is a completely natural process in and of itself).
Sometimes, when prevailing winds and currents are just right, June Grass may be concentrated near the shore with other marine organisms that might make water sports challenging. Occasionally when there are heavy concentrations of June Grass there may also be clumps of seaweed, called sargassum, various kinds of stinging and non-stinging jellies, and “sea lice”. In this part of Florida the term “sea lice” refers to nearly-transparent stinging pieces of jellies, that have been broken off from the larger organism, usually because of stormy, rough ocean conditions. They can give you an itchy rash if they
come in contact with exposed skin. Fortunately, this is usually very minor and is not directly related to the June Grass phenomenon.
FAQ | The June Grass Report
 

Tangs

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Yuck well look at the bright side if you decide to swim in that you won't have to eat your veggies lol
 
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