Florida's black water event.

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.