red tides
Toxic ocean blooms
Red tides are harmful algal blooms that discolor coastal waters, typically reddish-brown but sometimes green or yellow.
The blooms produce toxins that kill fish, contaminate shellfish, and can sicken humans who swim in affected waters or eat tainted seafood: The beach was closed due to red tide.
Despite the name, red tides have nothing to do with tidal patterns.
Toxic substances from organisms
- neurotoxicDamaging to nervous system
- shellfish poisoningIllness from toxic mollusks
- paralyticUnable to move voluntarily
- contaminationIntroduction of impurities
health advisory · bioaccumulation · filter feeders · mussels · clams · oysters · scallops · amnesic
Photosynthetic aquatic drifters
- algaePrimitive aquatic photosynthesizers
- eutrophicationExcess nutrients depleting oxygen
- chlorophyllLight-harvesting plant pigment
- biomassLiving material in aggregate
upwelling · nitrogen · phosphorus · fertilizers · coastal waters · estuaries · planktonic · bioluminescence
Mass aquatic animal deaths
- hypoxiaInsufficient tissue oxygenation
- anoxiaAbsence of oxygen supply
- dead zonesAreas lacking life or signal
- suffocationFatal lack of air
oxygen depletion · food chain · mass die-off · decomposition · marine mammals · respiratory distress
Prohibited shoreline access
- economic lossDecrease in monetary value
- health warningNotice of medical risk
- foamBubble-filled substance
- shorelineLand-water boundary
Florida · Gulf of Mexico · Chesapeake Bay · Baltic Sea · fishing ban · local economy
biotoxins
Toxic substances from organisms
- neurotoxicDamaging to nervous system
- shellfish poisoningIllness from toxic mollusks
- paralyticUnable to move voluntarily
contamination · health advisory · bioaccumulation · filter feeders · mussels · clams · oysters · scallops · amnesic · diarrhetic
phytoplankton
Photosynthetic aquatic drifters
- algaePrimitive aquatic photosynthesizers
- eutrophicationExcess nutrients depleting oxygen
- chlorophyllLight-harvesting plant pigment
biomass · upwelling · nitrogen · phosphorus · fertilizers · coastal waters · estuaries · planktonic · bioluminescence · cysts
fish kills
Mass aquatic animal deaths
- hypoxiaInsufficient tissue oxygenation
- anoxiaAbsence of oxygen supply
- dead zonesAreas lacking life or signal
suffocation · oxygen depletion · food chain · mass die-off · decomposition · marine mammals · respiratory distress
beach closure
Prohibited shoreline access
- economic lossDecrease in monetary value
- health warningNotice of medical risk
- foamBubble-filled substance
shoreline · Florida · Gulf of Mexico · Chesapeake Bay · Baltic Sea · fishing ban · local economy
- sea phenomenawaves, currents, storm surges, rogue waves, upwelling
- aquatic algaegreen algae, blue-green algae, marine algae, freshwater algae, macroalgae
- natural wondersnorthern lights, aurora borealis, auroras, rainbows, Great Barrier Reef
- algaealgae, green algae, chlorella, kelp, seaweed
- marine biologymarine life, sea creatures, ocean life, sea life, plankton
- coastal pollutionoil spills, marine debris, plastic waste, sewage, microplastics
red tideshigh tide
Maximum sea level
low tide · lunar tides · spring tide · neap tide · tidal flow