Abstract:
In January 2002, fishermen first noticed dark, discolored water in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico near Florida's Marquesas
Islands, which they called "black water." The accumulated evidence suggests the dark water was caused by a series
of algal blooms, from red tide to diatoms, which were supported by both marine and estuarine sources of nutrients. The
passage of fewer fronts during the winter of 2001-2002, combined with local circulation patterns and heavy rainfall, contributed
to the formation of this expansive bloom that persisted for many months.
