Yucatan Coast Cleared! No Red Tide Threat Found

Experts from the Primary Production Laboratory of the Center of Research and Advanced Studies (Cinvestav) in Merida have confirmed that there is no presence of red tide on the Yucatan coast. This announcement has brought relief to local fishermen from the ports of El Cuyo, Río Lagartos, Las Coloradas, San Felipe, and Dzilam de Bravo.

The unusual chocolate-colored hue of the sea, observed in May and June off these ports, had sparked concerns among the seafaring community. This prompted the researchers to conduct studies to determine whether the phenomenon was due to red tide.

A team of researchers from Cinvestav's Primary Production Laboratory, including Jorge Alfredo Herrera Silveira, Daniel Medina Euán, Dianela Díaz Bleis, and Javier Ramírez Ramírez, conducted several samplings near Dzilam de Bravo. The sampling process involved 14 stations spread over a 10 km stretch perpendicular to the coast, each station being separated by 500 or 1000 meters.

The team collected samples from both the surface and the sea floor to analyze the water and phytoplankton quality. The results showed that the dissolved oxygen levels ranged between 5.3 and 6.5 mg/l, which is sufficient to support most marine life. This confirmed that there is no risk of red tide in Yucatán.

Additionally, the researchers detected the presence of the Rhizosolenia Diatom, a type of algae that indicates the absence of harmful algal blooms. This finding ruled out the possibility that the patches spotted by fishermen were due to red tide.

Local fisherman Crisanto Ruiz expressed relief at the findings, noting that red tide often leads to a crisis, particularly during the summer vacation. He said, "People would be afraid to consume shellfish and fish, that's why we are very grateful that researchers are keeping an eye on the ocean's health and informing us of their findings."