It was recently discovered in Portland, ME that a widespread of red tide is a huge threat to the shellfish industry and many beaches especially this spring and summer. Scientists and other individuals are concerned for the well being of those who consume the shellfish because it can cause a severe sickness and even death for humans. It seems as though researchers are beginning to confirm a certain toxic algae that causes red tide. The shellfish absorb the toxins from the algae, which therefore restrains humans to harvest them. The article reports that "Last summer, officials shut down nearly the entire Maine coast to calm digging because of an outbreak that officials said was the worst they could remember."
Unexpected thunderstorms use to be the main concern to spoil a day at the beach, but now the newest threat to beach fun is the huge floating blanket of red algae, known as red tides. During a red tide, oxygen-consuming, toxic algae cover huge components of the ocean. Fish, whales, dolphins and other living ocean creatures end up washed up dead onto beaches, with red tide being a suspected cause. For humans, just breathing in the vicinity of a red tide can trigger asthma, coughing and throat irritation. Many residents that reside on the coast find the effects quite insufferable and staying indoors for them does not solve the problem. The main problem other than toxication, is consuming the fish and ending up with serious digestive and other health problems.
The good news is that most human activities suspected of aggravating red tides can be addressed with more sensitive development on our coastlines, better stewardship of waterways and a tighter rein on water pollution coming from farms. It is important that scientists who study red tides should have more support to fully understand how red tides are caused, and the best ways to address the problem.
