'Red tide' blamed for mass-deaths of manatees

A record number of manatees have been found dead in Florida over the past year, most of which killed via the phenomenon known as 'red tide.' Caused by large concentrations of aquatic microorganisms, algal bloom results in the water turning a murky, red color, giving the deadly anomaly its name.

Example of a 'red tide' event.

As of the end of October a total of 769 of the endangered species have perished in the toxic waters, a fifth of which being calves. Manatees are considered vital to the balance of coastal life in the Sunshine State, thus these latest reports have researchers very concerned.

Debate is on-going as to the root cause for this particular situation; while the majority asserts that human activity is the primary driver, others argue this is a strictly a natural occurrence. They are worried that it points to major earth-changes naturally - and relentlessly - taking place, with a rise of red-tide events across the globe since 2011 contributing to their evidence.

Photo: Alejandro Díaz [Wikipedia]