US-ENVIRONMENT-HEALTH-OCEANS-LEISURE

Specimens of red tide cultivated for research in ways to lessen its impact are seen through a microscope at the Mote Marine Laboratory, in Sarasota, Florida, on March 18, 2023. - With its brilliant sun, white sand and turquoise water, Lido Key Beach would make for a perfect postcard of Florida beaches if it weren't for the dozens of dead fish lying on the shore, killed by a toxic algae bloom known as red tide. Fifty kilometers (30 miles) from Lido Key Beach, scientists from the Mote Marine Laboratory have been working since 2020 to lessen the impact of red tide, a phenomenon first reported by Spanish explorers in the 15th and 16th centuries, based on accounts of the native populations in the area. (Photo by Jesus Olarte / AFP) (Photo by JESUS OLARTE/AFP via Getty Images)