Originally published on NBC-2 by Ryan Arbogast on January 28, 2025
A large-scale red tide bloom, roughly 100 square miles in size, is floating in the Gulf of Mexico about 25 miles off the Southwest Florida coastline, stretching from Charlotte Harbor to beyond Marco Island. Scientists say the bloom started in Tampa Bay after Hurricane Milton and has been slowly drifting south, fueled by nutrient-rich storm runoff.
“When I see pictures like that, one of the first things I think of is runoff from land,” said Michael Parsons, from Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU).
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