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Red Tide

Posted August 4, 2009 @ 9:01 pm In Colors,Editor's Choice,Red | No Comments

“Red tide” is a nickname for harmful algae blooms that appear as a reddening of the water. Red tides are not only a phenomenon of the ocean, but also of rivers and lakes.  While some red tides are harmless, many others create a toxic environment that can kill not only the fish and shellfish that live in the water, but also the animals, birds, and humans who consume the tainted fish and shellfish.


How It's Used

“Young readers in search of scary stories will soon have a whole new genre to enjoy. Children's books about global warming -- a market niche that didn't exist as recently as last fall -- are blossoming on booksellers' shelves faster than a red-tide algae bloom off the coast of Maine.”

—Meghan Cox Gurdon, “Eco-Frights for Kids,” The Wall Street Journal, April 7, 2007, p. P11.

"Leaving aside oyster sex for a moment, death - or at least illness - is the other summer concern. Warm water promotes algae responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), better known as red tide. But a combination of weekly testing and sheltered growing areas has minimized the risk. Northern California oyster farmers haven't had a PSP closure in the past seven years, according to the Department of Public Health."

—Jon Bonné, "Oyster R rule gets summer rewind," The San Francisco Chronicle, August 2, 2009.


Also Known As (AKA)

Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning, PSP, Pfiesteria


Links

Related on eAlmanac
The Crimson Tide

Beyond eAlmanac
Wikipedia article on Red Tide
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's "Toxic Blooms: Understanding Red Tides"
UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission's "What Are Harmful Algae?"



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