Red tide is an event that happens when lots of algae grow in the water. Not just any algae, but a particularly poisonous type of algae. Algae are microscopic plants that live in the water. Every drop of water normally contains hundreds of thousands of these tiny, tiny plants. Algae are natural and important, as they are the vegetables for the food web of the sea. There are many thousands of different types of algae. Algae use sunlight and CO2 to grow and they, in turn, feed the fish, crabs, oysters, and other organisms. But, some species of algae can be harmful or toxic. Just like some plants on land, such as poison ivy, certain algae can make chemicals that harm both fish and people. When algae increase substantially in number, we say that they bloom (like flowers), and the harmful ones create a harmful algal bloom. Some call this type of bloom a red tide, because the algae may be reddish in color, so in large enough numbers they color the sea red. The most common red tide organism of Florida is named Karenia brevis. It is a type of algae called dinoflagellates.

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