Red tide

WHAT do an oxygen deficiency, lobsters walking out of the ocean, dead fish and shades of brown, purple, yellow and green have in common? Red tide. And though this natural, age-old phenomenon can be beautiful to behold, it also poses a real threat to people and animals.

WHAT IS RED TIDE?

Red tide is a natural phenomenon that occurs along coastal regions worldwide. It’s a harmful type of algal bloom (HAB) – the overgrowth of algae in water. It’s called red tide because the bloom of algae often turns the water red.

Red tide is caused by a type of called . In South Africa, red tide is mostly caused by a group of phytoplankton called . These are that move short distances through water using