It appears that these red tide events are increasing in nature, especially on Florida's west coast. I think that manatees and other animals impacted by these events are sentinels for serious environmental and human problems, and in fact our research makes a strong case for potentially severe human red-tide impacts.

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Recent, frequent red tides off the west coast of Florida correlated with a 54 percent increase in emergency room admissions for respiratory illnesses, including, pneumonia, asthma attacks, and other respiratory problems.

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