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What are red tides caused by?

Updated: 8/10/2023
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9y ago

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Red tides are a natural phenomenon caused by an increase in the amount of nutrients that algae need usually due to farm runoff. When the amount of nutrients reaches a certain level there is a significant increase in Karenia Brevis algae. Many also believe that red tides occur when there is a combination of very high temperatures, wind, and rainfall.
Red tides is mostly caused by the increase of temperature and the difference of temperature between hot surface and a cold layer beneath the hot surface. When it is night, the dinoflagellates move to the cold layer to absorb nutrients. When it is day, they move to top to photosynthesize.
Red tides are caused by algal blooms. Certain types of algae in the ocean multiply at rapid rates, typically by excess nutrients found in the water. The algae die and the decay process consumes the oxygen in the water -- one of the reasons these red tides are so destructive.

By the way, not all algal blooms are red. It all depends on the algae present which grow quickly.
A bloom of red algae, usually due to increased nutrients in the water.

These extra nutrients can come either from natural sources or human caused pollution.

The red algae both deplete oxygen in the water and produce toxins, which kill fish and other sealife. The toxins can also kill people if they eat seafood (especially filter feeders e.g. clams, mussels, oysters, scallops) caught during the period of the red tide or immediately afterwards.

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7y ago
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9y ago

Red tides are caused by a population explosion of harmful microscopic algae in coastal waters. This natural phenomenon is known as algal bloom.

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14y ago

red tide is red because dinoflagellates are certain type of algae that the pigments is their skin makes them red

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Q: What are red tides caused by?
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What phyla are responsible for red tides?

Estuarine, marine, or fresh water algae is responsible for toxic red times. The algae accumulates rapidly in the water column discoloring the water's surface.


EXPlain how tides are produced in ocean?

Tides are mainly caused by the gravitational pull of the moon against the oceans. Thus, spring tide and neap tide coincide with different phases of the moon


Are there land tides as well as sea tides?

Tides are caused by the gravitational effect of (mainly) the moon. The position of the moon relative to a particular point on Earth determines the tide. The most noticeable effect is on the sea but everything (including the land) is affected to some degree. So short answer - Yes.


Why do tides occur on our planet explain?

a tide is when water levels change in a large body of water. tides occur because of the moons gravity. the position of the moon and how close it is to earth determines if it is a high tide or low tide.


What event's typically contribute to an algal bloom in a lake or an ocean?

In fresh water radical changes in PH balance. It can be due to pollution in freshwater environments where stagnant water provides a good habitat for algae and acidic pollutants encourage growth. Red tides are not due to pollution though. They are caused by natural changes in salinity, temperature and nutrient levels that allow Karenia brevis algae, the culprit behind red tides, to grow exponentially. It's still not fully understood what causes such increases but many theories regard high temperature, a lack of wind and rainfall as major factors.