The red tide is a type of algal bloom. It occurs because when microscopic algae multiply to higher than normal concentrations,often discoloring the water.The red tide can occur naturally and man made. It can form man made from global warming, agricultural pollution and naturally from the desert.

The red tide is affecting our environment because of the toxins that it produce, they end up in the ocean that the shellfish take in but they don’t die. Instead they concentrate all of it into their body’s in a small space and if human eats the shellfish the human has a huge chance of dying because of the toxin.

Also, it can affect people’s health of the respiratory system and they can have problems like hacking horribly, minor cough, or asthma in worse cases. And for your security they recommend to not swim in areas with red tide because the toxin can cause irritation, rashes, burning and sore eyes.

At this moment the red tide is affecting some of our beaches. The most current red tide map shows that red tide is being detected in waterways and beaches around Tampa Bay and along Gulf coast beaches as far south as Marco Island.