What is red tide? Is it dangerous?

Depending on the type of algae, the surrounding sea water will be cloudy or turn pink, purple, red, black or blue.

What is red tide? Is it dangerous? Picture 1

Red tide does not necessarily have to be red but can also form many different colors (blue, black, pink, orange.). specifically, they are not related to tidal movements but to algal blooms.

The natural red tide phenomenon is a form of algal bloom and has nothing to do with tidal activity.

What causes red tide?

There are many causes leading to the red tide phenomenon. Below are the basic reasons:

1. Due to rising temperatures, the oxygen content in water is reduced or nutritional conditions suddenly increase in the water environment.
2. Because algae are non-toxic and have strong toxic blooms in the natural environment.
3. Due to other factors such as the amount of iron-rich dust coming from large deserts, related to large-scale climate change such as the El Nino phenomenon.

What is red tide? Is it dangerous? Picture 2

How long do red tides last?

The period of red tide can last several weeks or even last more than a year.

Red tides occur due to algal blooms, so they depend heavily on physical and biological conditions such as sunlight, nutrients and salinity, as well as the speed and direction of winds and currents. The phenomenon may gradually decrease and then reappear.

Red tide usually occurs near shore, but can occur 10-40 miles (equivalent to 16-64km) from shore.

Harmful effects of red tide

The appearance of red tide is a signal of abnormality, which can greatly affect the lives of humans, animals and plants globally.

1. The red tide phenomenon greatly affects human health if we eat creatures contaminated with toxins.
2. Red tide causes mass deaths of shrimp, fish. in aquaculture areas, even disrupting the ecosystem, making the surrounding air much harder to breathe. This greatly affects the source of income and the economy in particular. Generally speaking.
3. The process of decomposing non-toxic algae blooms will deplete the oxygen in sea water, causing mass deaths of sea animals.
4. The accumulation of too much seaweed in the water will form mucous membranes on the fish's gills, affecting the absorption of oxygen in the water.

Samuel Daniel

Update 14 June 2024