May 28, 2004: Headlines: COS - India: Environment: Sierra Club: NGO's: Herald Tribune: India RPCV Carl Pope suggests pollution-red tide connection

Peace Corps Online: Directory: India: Special Report: India RPCV and Sierra Club Director Carl Pope: May 28, 2004: Headlines: COS - India: Environment: Sierra Club: NGO's: Herald Tribune: India RPCV Carl Pope suggests pollution-red tide connection

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-115-42.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.115.42) on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 2:23 pm: Edit Post

India RPCV Carl Pope suggests pollution-red tide connection

India RPCV Carl Pope suggests pollution-red tide connection

India RPCV Carl Pope suggests pollution-red tide connection

Sierra Club director suggests pollution-red tide connection

BY CHRIS O'DONNELL

SARASOTA -- Pollution may be contributing to longer and stronger red tide outbreaks along Florida coasts, Carl Pope, national executive director of the Sierra Club, said Thursday.

Pope said more research is needed to determine if nutrients from polluted water that runs into the Gulf add to the severity of red tide outbreaks. But he criticized state and federal government for not curbing activities he claimed worsen the problem.

"It does not help that the very activities which contribute to red tide, sprawl and poorly managed agriculture, are allowed to continue here in Florida," Pope said.

Pope's speech at the Lido Beach Pavilion on Thursday marked the launch of the Florida Coastal Protection Campaign, which the Sierra Club hopes will encourage independent scientific studies to determine if pollution exacerbates incidents of red tide.

But according to Richard Pierce, senior scientist and director of the Mote Marine Laboratory Center for Ecotoxicology in Sarasota, pollution has not been proven to worsen red tide incidents.

"There is definitely a link between nutrient coastal pollution and growth of algae," Pierce said. "What we don't have yet is a scientifically verifiable link between coastal pollution and red tides."

Karen Mulcahy, chair of the campaign, said the Sierra Club will ask the National Academy of Science to conduct an independent study on the issue. The campaign will also closely monitor other studies on red tide coming out of Florida.

Red tides have been detected in Florida in 27 out of the last 28 years, according to the Mote Marine Laboratory.

Low concentrations of red tide, a microscopic algae, are permanently present in Gulf waters but occasionally begin massive blooming. Red tide becomes toxic to slow-moving, bottom-dwelling fish and shellfish if blooms reach levels of 10,000 organisms per liter of water. Effects on beachgoers include coughing fits and itchy eyes.

A report from the Florida Marine Research Laboratory said the biotoxin was responsible for the death of 98 manatees in 2003.

Scientists at the University of South Florida published a paper in 2001 suggesting blooms may be triggered by iron carried in clouds of dust across the Atlantic Ocean from the Sahara Desert and falling into the Gulf of Mexico.

At the campaign kickoff, Pope signed a letter to President George Bush quoting a National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science report that says excess nutrients from agricultural runoff have been linked to the growth of harmful algal blooms.

"We are in favor of more research, but it is quite clear that if you reduce the nutrient flow, you reduce the duration and frequency of the red tide," Pope said.

Pierce, the Mote scientist, said the ability of red tide to survive on low levels of nutrients would make it difficult to pinpoint pollution as a factor in red tide blooms. But he said any effort to reduce coastal pollution should be welcomed.




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Story Source: Herald Tribune

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - India; Environment; Sierra Club; NGO's

PCOL11682
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By Anonymous (121.247.1.9.ahmedabad-dynamic-bb.vsnl.net.in - 121.247.1.9) on Monday, October 22, 2007 - 7:48 am: Edit Post

Dear Sir/madam,
In india we are trying to my level best to reduce the pollution by increasing the tree in the farm. Please send the information which orgnisation will help us in this project .
Best Regards,
RAMPRAKASH


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