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Rare Red Tide Outbreak Puts South Florida Beaches On Alert

Zach McGowen, of Jupiter, checks out the water for possible surfing conditions south of Jupiter inlet on Monday. Several county-managed beaches in Palm Beach County reopened on Friday.
Richard Graulich
/
Palm Beach Post
Zach McGowen, of Jupiter, checks out the water for possible surfing conditions south of Jupiter inlet on Monday. Several county-managed beaches in Palm Beach County reopened on Friday.

After almost a year along the beaches on the Gulf Coast, toxic algae has made its way to South Florida.

 

This week, a rare red tide outbreak closed beaches up and down the region’s eastern coastline. Beaches in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties have reopened, butsigns are up warning visitors about potential health risks, including itchy eyes and throats.

The spread of red tide brings up the role beaches play as more than an economic driver but as a buffer for storms and the threat of sea-level rise.

The Miami Herald, the Sun Sentinel and The Palm Beach Post – with reporting from WLRN – have teamed up to address sea-level rise in South Florida. The newspapers’ editorial page editors –  Nancy AncrumRosemary O’Hara, and  Rick Christie, respectively – join WLRN’s Tom Hudson for another conversation about The Invading Sea.

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Alexander Gonzalez is a recent graduate of the University of Miami. He majored in English and was the the editor-in-chief of The Miami Hurricane newspaper from 2014-15. He was WLRN's digital intern during summer 2015. He subscribes to too many podcasts and can't get away from covering the arts in Miami.
In a journalism career covering news from high global finance to neighborhood infrastructure, Tom Hudson is the Vice President of News and Special Correspondent for WLRN. He hosts and produces the Sunshine Economy and anchors the Florida Roundup in addition to leading the organization's news engagement strategy.