Naples, Fla.-A 15 percent increase in fertilizer use each year for the past three years, coupled with greater than normal rainfall, has led to a larger number of outbreaks of red tide in the Gulf of Mexico off the West Coast of Florida, according to a recent article in the Naples Sun. Manatee County used 93,400 tons of fertilizers in 2005, followed by 28,000 tons in Charlotte and 21,900 tons in Sarasota County, for agriculture, golf courses, lawns, and gardens. The fertilizers were believed to be providing nutrients for red tide. Red tide blooms are a form of algae that kills fish, manatees and other marine mammals, and plants, as well as birds. Red tide also produces a noxious odor, which has the effect of driving away tourists from beaches along the gulf coast of Florida. A 2,500-square-mile dead zone has been found in the Gulf off the coast of Florida, and has been attributed to the increase in fertilizer use. The problem has become increasingly severe as rampant development of the state continues.
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