Red Tide
Context
- Red tides return to Florida, leaving beaches covered in dead fish.
About
- A red tide is an event that occurs on the coastline when algae—a plant-like organism—grows out of control.
- The name “red tide” comes from the fact that overgrown algae can cause the water to change color.
- Red tides can be hazardous to human health and sea life.
- This happens when nutrient-rich deep water wells up to the surface or is mixed up in storms, and the normally scarce nitrogen and phosphorus become plentiful and enable the algae to bloom out of control.
- The culprit behind Florida’s red tide is a species called Karenia brevis, a single-celled photosynthetic dinoflagellate with two tail-like flagellum that send it spinning through the water.
- It has reddish-brown photosynthetic pigments that really do turn the water red in high enough concentrations.
- Karenia brevis produces powerful neurotoxins called brevetoxins.
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