The Red Tide Outbreak in the West Coast of Florida was extremely tragic. As Sarasota Magazine said "countless fish, hundreds of sea turtles, manatees and dolphins have been killed by toxins from Karenia Brevis, the single-celled algae responsible for Florida’s rust-colored blooms. More than 162 tons of dead fish on Sarasota beaches and another 241 tons from Manatee’s shores have been trucked to county landfills. On muggy afternoons in downtown Sarasota in August, the odor of dead fish wafts across parking lots and seeps into buildings. The airborne toxins, even a mile from shore, can make people cough."
Karen Arango is a Sarasota-based freelance photojournalist, filmmaker, and teacher who currently works for Sarasota Magazine, The Community Foundation of Sarasota, and Ringling College.