Named for the color the microorganisms give seawater when stimulated by sunlight, red tides are common seasonal phenomena in coastal waters.
“There are many different types of red tides depending on where you are in the world and many different types of impacts depending on the organism that cause the problems,” said Don Anderson, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts.
The differences stem from different types of plant, also known as harmful algal blooms, responsible for red tides in different locations.
Eating seafood contaminated with red-tide toxins can cause gastrointestinal, neurological, and cardiovascular symptoms and, in rare cases, death.
via Robot monitors toxic red tides |Phys.Org.
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See also: Sensor Monitors Gulf of Maine Algae for Signs of Approaching Red Tides