As an early Polar Plunge grips most of the U.S., likely fueling the passion of climate change deniers, here in South Florida we have noticed subtle signs of global warming. These observations, purely our own, fit the scenario of rising and warming seas.
Our first observation is that low tides in our arm of Sarasota Bay are not as shallow as they used to be. When we first bought our condo, in 2003, low tides produced extensive shallows on the bay, attracting hordes of egrets, herons, spoonbills and wood storks; over the past couple of years, such spectacles have not occurred (at least during our visits). Today, when visiting the Leffis Key Preserve in Bradenton Beach, many of the low boardwalks were damp and covered with vegetative debris, indicating that high tides are covering these elevated paths; again, this is a phenomenon that we have not encountered in the past. Finally, the severity of the 2018 red tide, documented in this blog, was likely fueled (in part) by rising water temperature in the Gulf of Mexico; unfortunately, another toxic algal bloom is currently developing off Sarasota County, just to our south. Cool weather cannot arrive soon enough but may rarely (if ever) envelop South Florida as the climate warms.
Perhaps my observations are tainted by my own convictions and concerns but rising and warming seas have been well documented as polar ice sheets melt and glaciers retreat across the globe. We would be fortunate indeed if higher low tides, swamped boardwalks and toxic algal blooms turn out to be the only consequences.
Our first observation is that low tides in our arm of Sarasota Bay are not as shallow as they used to be. When we first bought our condo, in 2003, low tides produced extensive shallows on the bay, attracting hordes of egrets, herons, spoonbills and wood storks; over the past couple of years, such spectacles have not occurred (at least during our visits). Today, when visiting the Leffis Key Preserve in Bradenton Beach, many of the low boardwalks were damp and covered with vegetative debris, indicating that high tides are covering these elevated paths; again, this is a phenomenon that we have not encountered in the past. Finally, the severity of the 2018 red tide, documented in this blog, was likely fueled (in part) by rising water temperature in the Gulf of Mexico; unfortunately, another toxic algal bloom is currently developing off Sarasota County, just to our south. Cool weather cannot arrive soon enough but may rarely (if ever) envelop South Florida as the climate warms.
Perhaps my observations are tainted by my own convictions and concerns but rising and warming seas have been well documented as polar ice sheets melt and glaciers retreat across the globe. We would be fortunate indeed if higher low tides, swamped boardwalks and toxic algal blooms turn out to be the only consequences.
