It’s here, it’s red -- it’s safe and natural

Jenny Marder

At night, phosphorescent lights flash through the waves, casting an

electric blue glow across the surf. During the day, the water takes

on a dull rust color.

Both phenomena, seen at Surf City’s beaches this week, are caused

by the “red tide,” a natural occurrence at local beaches three or

four times per year.

The ed tide is caused by an overabundance of red dinoflagellates,

a kind of plankton, in the ocean. Dinoflagellates are single-cell

plants, algae, that from time to time swell in number from 100 cells

per milliliter to a few million cells per milliliter.

“There’s not enough oxygen to support all of the plankton, and

there’s a dying off that occurs,” Huntington Beach Marine Safety Lt.

Mike Beuerlein said. “What you’re seeing is dead plankton. It’s a

very natural and organic condition.”

Dennis Kelly, chairman of the Marine Science department at Orange

Coast College, said that there are about 15 different causes of a red

tide.

“It crops up when a combination of oceanographic events take place

or one event,” Kelly said. “With the warm weather, clear skies and

lots of sun, there’s been plenty of good conditions for these little

plankton to take off.”

The red tide is usually harmless to swimmers and marine life, but

in rare instances, certain species have been known to poison oysters,

clams and other seafood, which, if eaten, can be toxic to humans.

State officials are constantly monitoring the waters for dangerous

species, Kelly said.

“Usually, if one of these shows up, they will immediately begin

warning people,” he said. “If there was one that was toxic, notices

would have gone out already.”

A red tide can last from a few days to several months. The current

spell is going on its second week.

“One year, it was here for all of spring and all of summer,” Kelly

said. “Many years, there was no red tide.”

The biggest problems with a red tide, in Beuerlein’s eyes -- and

nose -- are its unsightly color and foul odor.

“During the day, it’s a brownish red, almost a rust color,”

Beuerlein said. “It typically is a mass of plankton that’s in the

same general area. It’ll kind of go with the current. Sometimes it

moves in, sometimes it moves out, sometimes it gets stretched out,

sometimes it’s in a denser arrangement. It definitely is a separation

from normal water.”

From a helicopter the red tide has a distinct outline.

Huntington Beach lifeguards do their best to keep beachgoers

informed.

“It’s an educational process for us,” Beuerlein said. “We try to

inform them of what it is. Sometimes red tide is mistaken for sewage

or bacteria in the water, and that’s not the case.”