WIDESPREAD RED TIDE OUTBREAK HITS FLORIDA COASTS

MIAMI (Reuters) - Potentially toxic red tide is affecting three separate areas on Florida's east and west coasts for the first known time, marine biologists said Wednesday. ``This is the most widespread red tide that we have record of Florida experiencing,'' Leigh Wallace, a spokeswoman for the Florida Marine Research Institute, said. It is the first time since state officials began tracking red tide in 1972 that they have documented three simultaneous blooms. Wednesday October 13 4:56 PM ET http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/19991013/ts/environment_tide_1.html