Drones Survey Waning Red Tide

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — Scientists from Texas A&M AgriLife, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Texas A&M Corpus Christi have collaborated on unmanned aerial vehicle flyovers of the red tide algae bloom off the South Texas coast, according to experts.

The red tide seems to be fading at this time, the experts said.

“We’ve actually flown three unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, over the Gulf of Mexico affected by red tide in South Texas,” said Tony Reisinger, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent for coastal and marine resources in Cameron County and with Texas Sea Grant.

They each flew for about 20 minutes along the coast and over the jetties at Santiago Brazos Pass, Reisinger said.

Red tides occur naturally and are caused by high concentrations or blooms of microscopic algae called Karenia brevis, Reisinger said. The algae produce a toxin that can affect the central nervous systems of fish, birds, mammals and other animals. In high enough concentrations, it can cause water discoloration, making it appear red, green or brown.

While it’s not life-threatening for humans, red tide aerosol can cause temporary symptoms, including burning eyes, coughing, sneezing, skin irritation and respiratory problems, he said. People with asthma or other respiratory problems should avoid exposure.

“Using UAVs may eventually be an excellent way to monitor these red tide algal blooms,” Reisinger said. “It has potential to save state and federal agencies lots of time and money by tracking the movement and concentration of the bloom, and conducting fish-kill counts along the shore, which are measurements now taken by hand, so to speak. All that takes lots of man hours and resources.”

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