Plankton; the tiny plants and animals that be crawling in shallow waters. which form the basis for nearly everything that lives in the ocean. But a few kinds of microscopic algae make toxic chemicals as a byproduct. When coastal conditions let these creatures “bloom” in great numbers, the toxins concentrate in the tissues of fish or shellfish. Without proper warning, people can get seriously ill from a seafood meal. Depending on the type of algae, symptoms can range from a miserable night of nausea to paralysis, amnesia, and even death. Occasionally, the algae grow very fast or "bloom" and accumulate into dense, visible areas near the surface of the water. "Red Tide" is a common name for such a phenomenon where certain phytoplankton species contain reddish pigments and "bloom" such that the water appears to be colored red, brown, or even green. A harmful algal specie; Alexandriumspp, normally in the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Coast of North America. This harmful algal affects mussels, sea scallops, oysters, lobsters, salmon ect. Each year HABs make thousands sick and even cause death. Fishing and aquaculture industries, as well as tourism, can lose hundreds of millions of dollars because of killed fish, toxic shellfish, and closed or unsightly beaches. How can the fishing industry count on being safe if we have to worry about toxins getting into our food.
Most of these blooms are harmless, but a few species of phytoplankton cause red tides that are poisonous to marine animals and to humans. Because of this, scientists prefer the term "harmful algal bloom" (or HAB). Of the more than 60 different species of phytoplankton that cause red tides, only four or five have been identified as toxic. There are millions of microscopic plants (phytoplankton) that exist in almost every drop of coastal sea water. With the right conditions, (sunlight and proper nutrients), these plants photosynthesize and multiply, creating a "bloom." The organism that causes toxic red tide.
With warning, we need to be aware in what we are eating. Shellfish poisoning is common, because most shellfish filter sea water for food. When the eat, they sometimes consume toxic phytoplankton and accumulates in their flesh. Shellfish poisoning syndromes can cause neurological problems from nausea, vomiting, dizziness. Some syndromes are lethal.
Ciguatera fish poisoning, caused by a species of the genus Gambierdiscus they live in tropical waters. These species are known to produce a fat-soluble toxin that causes vomiting, and abdominal pain followed by muscular aches, dizziness, sweating, and tingling sensations. Ciguatoxin producing algae attach t seaweed's, and first consumed b plant-eating reef fish. Ciguatera is responsible for more human illnesses- 10,000 to 50,000 cases annually- than any other kind of toxicity origination in fresh seafood.
There are millions of microscopic plants (phytoplankton) that exist in almost every drop of coastal sea water. With the right conditions, (sunlight and proper nutrients), these plants photosynthesize and multiply, creating a "bloom." The organism that causes toxic red tide.
-http://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/factsheets/redtide.html
-http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eohhs2modulechunk&L=4&L0=Home&L1=Provider&L2=Guidance+for+Businesses&L3=Food+Safety&sid=Eeohhs2&b=terminalcontent&f=dph_environmental_foodsafety_p_red_tide&csid=Eeohhs2
