Red Tide

[orlando]

Been to Honeymoon Island today, what a lovely setting. There aren't many beaches at the moment on the South West of Florida that haven't been affected by the Red Tide. Honeymoon Island had its fair share of dead fish washed up but not as bad as the beaches at Indian Shores, Indian Rocks, Sand Key and Clearwater. Saw dead Grouper washed up at Sand Key yesterday they were huge at least 150-200lbs, quite frightneing for anybody who has a fear of the sea.
Hoping it soons clears up as it is not pleasant for any who is visiting this beautiful area for the first, it may put them off ever returning, this is the first time we have experienced this in 9 years.

[LiesaAnna]

what is it? sorry for my ignorance but have never heard of it?

[Ruth]

It is a bloom of algae which kills off the fish. It occurs every so often

[LiesaAnna]

oh ! thats horrible, thanx Ruth for putting me right[msnwink]

[chrizzy100]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by orlando
Been to Honeymoon Island today, what a lovely setting. There aren't many beaches at the moment on the South West of Florida that haven't been affected by the Red Tide. Honeymoon Island had its fair share of dead fish washed up but not as bad as the beaches at Indian Shores, Indian Rocks, Sand Key and Clearwater. Saw dead Grouper washed up at Sand Key yesterday they were huge at least 150-200lbs, quite frightneing for anybody who has a fear of the sea.
Hoping it soons clears up as it is not pleasant for any who is visiting this beautiful area for the first, it may put them off ever returning, this is the first time we have experienced this in 9 years.

[/quote]

We have or had a red tide here in MA......I'm not really up on the news so I don't know what damage its done.........I know the shell fishing has stopped.......

[chrizzy100]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by LiesaAnna
what is it? sorry for my ignorance but have never heard of it?
[/quote]

Here you are some info....

http://www.mass.gov/dph/fpp/redtide.htm

[LiesaAnna]

thanx Chrizzy thats very interesting!! never heard of it before!!

[chrizzy100]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by LiesaAnna
thanx Chrizzy thats very interesting!! never heard of it before!!
[/quote]

I just found this..it seems our red tide is going.....we've had some really bad storms up here this spring.....and then it turned nice and warm.....and thats why we had one........

BOSTON Jul 1, 2005 — Shellfish beds that closed because of an outbreak of toxic red tide algae were reopened in seven coastal communities Friday, just in time for the holiday weekend.

State officials said recent tests show the algae bloom has receded and it is safe to fish and harvest certain species of shellfish in Duxbury, Plymouth, Kingston, Bourne, Wareham, Wellfleet and Chatham.

The openings come more than a month after the worst red tide in 30 years began its spread through New England waters. The bloom shut down shellfish beds from Maine to Cape Cod so that people would not eat contaminated shellfish like clams and mussels.


Friday's openings were sure to be good news to shellfishermen and shellfish growers, who've been out of work for weeks because of the outbreak. The state estimated a weekly loss of $3 million.

The areas opened Friday represent a small percentage of the total area closed because of the red tide, but officials said the areas are very productive. For example, the beds around Monomoy Island in Chatham account for close to 50 percent of the value of soft-shelled clams harvested in Massachusetts each year.

The harvest of surf clams, ocean quahogs and carnivorous snails remains prohibited in the newly opened areas, according to a statement from the state Executive Office of Environmental Affairs.

The state fisheries division said it expects more areas to open next week.

[Jill]

It is not just the shellfish that are affected by red tide. They form part of the food chain and as you travel up the chain everything else is also affected. One of Andrew's marine biology friends was sitting by the water during the last week and saw some young black tip reef sharks. She noticed that one jumped out of the water and landed on its back and sunk - very unusual behaviour and was worried about what had caused it to die like this. She and the others she was with went in and hauled it out. They have now had an autopsy carried out and found it had died from toxins caused by eating other fish poisoned by the red tide. They have also found manatees dead from eating food contaminated with red tide toxins.

[LiesaAnna]

this sounds absolutely awful!!!