Anyone know why the water was Bright Red in Dana Point last week?

actually it was dark Red. More like a Brownish-Red

Sounds like an algea bloom of some sort. We used to call it the Red Tide back in Texas where I grew up. As I remeber, it was a bad thing for the fishing. Dont know if this is the same, but it sure sounds like it.


Tight Lines,

Clay

Yeah It is Red Tide. It happens every year at this time. Not positive but I do belieive that there is some toxicicity to it. Not to people but to things like seals and birds. Anybody know if this is true?
Another Brian

Red tide is not a good things... here's a report from up north:

Red tide toxin has forced the closure of shellfish harvesting along much of the British Columbia coast, including Vancouver Island.

West Vancouver Island, the north coast and parts of the inside waters of the island are now closed to harvesting bivalve shellfish, including oysters, mussels, clams and scallops.

Eating shellfish infected by red tide can result in poisoning almost immediately. Cooking does not kill the toxin.

Symptoms are numbness and tingling of the mouth, staggering and difficulty speaking and paralysis. Death can result without treatment.

Washington state's inland waters to the south also are periodically affected by the toxins, and shellfish harvested from Kodiak's beaches have resulted in death of people who consumed them.

Shellfish harvested commercially in Alaska come from beaches that are tested periodically by the state.

More:

PSP is caused by a naturally-occuring algae (plankton) in coastal waters. When water temperatures rise, the amount of the algae increases in the water. As bivalve molluscs feed on this algae by filtering large volumes of water, they accummuate and concentrate the toxins. Coastal areas are regularly monitored for PSP toxin levels and closures for harvesting of bivalve molluscs are implemented when levels exceed those that are safe for human consumption. PSP toxins generally only occur in bivalve molluscs

Traditionally, bivalve shellfish aren't harvested in months that don't have an R in them on the west coast, because of the potential for Red Tide poisoning. That would be May, June, July and August. There is a ryhme, that I can't remember right now, that reminds people of this. The red is caused by a blum of Diatomacious(sp?) algea which excrete a neuro-toxin when touched. Most shellfish can deal with the toxin but most fish, birds, and all mammals are suceptable if taken internally in varying amounts. The shellfish quickly become poisonous themselves.

Tight lines,
Wade

I've heard that baitfish eat this plankton and are then eaten by barracuda, and you shouldn't eat barracuda because of this. I guess since koods primarily eat baitfish, it's a bad idea to eat em. They say this is for all year, not just during red tide.
-Brian

From what I understand, the shellfish become toxic because they concentrate the toxin while filter feeding. Makes for a great show after dark, though-

Yep. Same deal with the filter feeding baitfish.