Uh-oh
Red Tide in Corpus Christi
Latest Updates on the Port Aransas Red Tide Bloom from the TPWD
It looks like this bloom was first spotted back in Sept. I find it rather strange that no local newspapers have made mention of it. It couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact that we have a couple of big event weekends coming up, could it?
Well, I looked it up because I have just recently started having to use my (asthma) inhaler with greater frequency and I have been coughing - not a lot, but more than usual - even though it doesn't feel like a cold. It feels like red tide and now I am convinced that is exactly what it is.
Please note that I am the "canary in the coalmine" with this stuff, being more susceptible to its effects than most. So it is entirely possible that other residents and visitors aren't even noticing it. And maybe the norther that is supposed ot blow through here later this week will totally wipe it out. I hope so.
But potential visitors with respiratory problems really need to be forewarned. And I think that is the press' job. And they aren't doing it.
Latest Updates on the Port Aransas Red Tide Bloom from the TPWD
It looks like this bloom was first spotted back in Sept. I find it rather strange that no local newspapers have made mention of it. It couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact that we have a couple of big event weekends coming up, could it?
Well, I looked it up because I have just recently started having to use my (asthma) inhaler with greater frequency and I have been coughing - not a lot, but more than usual - even though it doesn't feel like a cold. It feels like red tide and now I am convinced that is exactly what it is.
Please note that I am the "canary in the coalmine" with this stuff, being more susceptible to its effects than most. So it is entirely possible that other residents and visitors aren't even noticing it. And maybe the norther that is supposed ot blow through here later this week will totally wipe it out. I hope so.
But potential visitors with respiratory problems really need to be forewarned. And I think that is the press' job. And they aren't doing it.
posted by Lucinda at 8:46 AM
18 Comments:
Hi Sandy,
I know that the Coastal Studies lab, the volunteer Red Tide Rangers, and TPWD are monitoring the Port Aransas red tide closely and provide me with daily updates. The local volunteers are regularly testing our waters, too. No red tide cell counts here. I accompanied biologist Tony Reisinger to the Port Mansfield jetties for some testing, and we've found no red tide. Should red tide come our way, I'm one of the first to know, and I work diligently to let the public know, too. I will keep you posted.
Melissa Zamora
SPI CVB
Thanks for this, Melissa.
However, I promise you that even if we do not have a bloom in the immediate vicinity, we have the aerosol. I have experienced a _lot of red tide in my 20 years here and I know it when it affects me... and it _is affecting me, if only mildly at the moment.
I hope it gets no worse.
And I still think it odd that local papers don't consider a red tide bloom just north of us to be news.
Here is the latest:
This is the Texas red tide update for October 9, 2006.
The southern movement of the red tide that was reported on Friday continued through the weekend, with anglers reporting discolored water and aerosol irritation along portions of Mustang Island to the 13-mile mark of Padre Island National Seashore. Dead fish, mostly mullet, were seen along the Gulf beaches on Sunday from Port Aransas to the 8-mile mark of the National Seashore.
No reports of irritation or fish kills in the Cedar Bayou area came in over the weekend. In addition, red tide has not been found in Rockport, Port O’Connor, Corpus Christi, the Laguna Madre, Port Mansfield or South Padre Island.
TPWD is conducting another overflight of the coast on Tuesday. Biologists will fly from Mesquite Bay to South Padre Island to get an aerial view of the red tide. Staff from TPWD and Padre Island National Seashore will resume collection of water samples on Tuesday to be analyzed for red tide concentration.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, scientists know little about how breathing the air near red tides or swimming in red tides may affect human health. People who are near the water during red tide may experience irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, as well as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. People with existing respiratory illness, such as asthma, may experience these symptoms more severely.
If you have concerns or questions about human health effects of red tide or symptoms you are experiencing, please consult a physician.
Although some travelers may be concerned with how the red tide may affect their vacation plans, there are miles of clean beaches to enjoy on the Texas coast.
To report sightings of red tide during business hours, call your local Texas Parks and Wildlife Department office or the Kills and Spills Team at (512) 912-7055. You may also page Dave Buzan at (800) 299-4099, personal identification number 2366.
For more information about red tide and the latest updates, check our web site: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/water/environconcerns/hab/redtide/status.phtml.
Meridith Byrd
HAB Studies Facilitator
Texas Parks and Wildlife
3000 South IH-35 Suite 320
Austin, TX 78704
512.912.7068
512.707.1358 fax
sorry, I forget to add my name to the last post
-- Melissa
Seems like it was last year about this time it was real bad. I sure hope it's not a repeat! Knock on wood ...
I did some heavy research on this last year. It turns out that red tide is "natural" and exists all the time in the Gulf sediments. Initial blooms are of a different organism, which is thought to be enhanced by nutrients. These nutrients can be from Sahara dust, human wastewater, or stirred sediments. The red tide then feeds on the algae until it is consumed. Then it goes back into the sediments.
I haven't checked the satelites this year but they can find red tide because it has a special wavelength that can be measured. The worst bloom was actually off Bradenton, Florida, where it pretty much wiped out the tourist trade. It wasn't too good for the Manatee, either.
While uncomfortable, a little red tide in the surf is tolerable. What you don't want is to have it in the bay. If you recall the last red tide bloom down here, a large patch of it got stuck down by the Causeway and killed hundreds of thousands of fish. It stunk. Man, did it stink.
Sam
Today's update -- Melissa
This is the Texas red tide update for October 10, 2006.
The overflight that was scheduled for today has been cancelled due to weather and has been tentatively rescheduled for Thursday.
Cell counts have dropped significantly in Port Aransas at the Corpus Christi Ship Channel near the University of Texas Marine Science Institute. No aerosol effects have been reported in the Port Aransas area.
Padre Island National Seashore staff were notified on Sunday of severe respiratory effects and dead fish washing ashore along the first few miles of the park. As of this morning reports indicate red tide from the park’s northern boundary to approximately 30 miles beyond the end of Park Road 22. The most severe aerosol effects and numbers of dead fish are being seen from the northern boundary to 10 miles south of Park Road 22.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, scientists know little about how breathing the air near red tides or swimming in red tides may affect human health. People who are near the water during red tide may experience irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, as well as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. People with existing respiratory illness, such as asthma, may experience these symptoms more severely.
If you have concerns or questions about human health effects of red tide or symptoms you are experiencing, please consult a physician.
Although some travelers may be concerned with how the red tide may affect their vacation plans, there are miles of clean beaches to enjoy on the Texas coast.
To report sightings of red tide during business hours, call your local Texas Parks and Wildlife Department office or the Kills and Spills Team at (512) 912-7055. You may also page Dave Buzan at (800) 299-4099, personal identification number 2366.
For more information about red tide and the latest updates, check our web site: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/water/environconcerns/hab/redtide/status.phtml.
Meridith Byrd
HAB Response Coordinator
Texas Parks and Wildlife
3000 South IH-35 Suite 320
Austin, TX 78704
512.912.7068
512.707.1358 fax
last year was worse ever for thou...
almost bought fsce mask, if could had found one...
visitin local grocery, full of senior citizens, locals, winter texans, etc. mostly wearing face masks...
south padre island needs to know all the news, all the time, good, bad, or evil, even if the chamber does not tink so...
sandy, keep up the good job...
VOTE
Here's a link to more info, including an image showing where they believed the bloom was over the weekend.
http://www.utmsi.utexas.edu/people/staff/villareal/karenia/index.htm
Quote: 10 October 2006 10:38 am. Cell counts this weekend at Port Aransas dropped several orders of magnitude. Although I have received reports of severe respiratory irritation this weekend, the bulk of the bloom appears to have moved to the south. Reports from TDH indicate 0 cells per ml from Matagorda ship Channel, Pass Cavallo and Pt. O'Connor. However, the Padre Island National Seashore (PINS) is reporting significant fish kills. Respiratory irritation started on Saturday. This mornings reported from PINS is that the most severe effects extend from the park's northern boundary to 10 mile south of Park Road 22. Some estimates indicate as many as 38,000 dead fish per mile."
Sounds to me like it is heading our way.
Hi Sandy,
Tom from DFW here. Long time no post. Thanks for the Red Tide update. We've got reservations for Sand Castle Days, but both my wife and I are affected by Red Tide.
I hope the "Norther" that just blew in up here will wash away any Red Tide when it arrives down there in a few days.
Keep us posted and we'll keep a heads up for a great weekend event.
Tom
Well a norther only makes it worse, it seems. It adds more oxygen to the water and stirs up more nutrients.
We must be careful though, since posting news of a red tide outbreak can virtually shut down the tourist trade ... in a heartbeat. Unless the red tide is severe, like counts in the thousands, the allergic effects are only found right on the beach.
Heck man, we were surfing in it last year. /Sam
Re:
Sam said...
Well a norther only makes it worse, it seems. It adds more oxygen to the water and stirs up more nutrients.
We must be careful though, since posting news of a red tide outbreak can virtually shut down the tourist trade ... in a heartbeat. Unless the red tide is severe, like counts in the thousands, the allergic effects are only found right on the beach.
Heck man, we were surfing in it last year. /Sam
12:19 PM
================
remember the locals, the visitors, the aged, the ill, the winter texans, tourists.....
last year, some of above left the Island.....
with the face masks, at least they were informed,
but how about the un-informed.....
last year's red tide was felt
inside local businesses,
including the grocery,
on beach,
beach side condos,
inside common parts of buildings, inside condos,
windows and doors
were not left open
or even opened.....
VOTE
Oh I agree, but the September to October episode of 2005 was truly of epic proportions. Units below are Karenia brevis cells per milli-liter (ml) of sample water:
> 38,000 - found in SPI surf
> 3,000 - found in South Bay, high
> 250 - can kill fish such as mullet
< 20 sampled on October 27, when the TPWD stated that the episode was over.
That count of over 38,000 is truly humongous, something that rarely ever happens. It's amazing we didn't all cork off from the neurotoxin!
mother nature is in control and must be respected -
which is worse 3 inches of snow
or 10 inches of snow?
worse is 3 inches of dry snow with 45 miles per hour winds.
worse worse is 3 inches or 10 inches of wet snow.
worse worse worse is 3 inches or 10 inches of dry snow, wind variable.
and -
sea or fresh water floods varies -
take hurricane rita, far away, last year, with no rain, no wind, but 12 feet sea surge, which breached South Padre Island.....
Sam,
I don't remember counts being that high. Or, is that a total count for the duration of the red tide?
-Melissa
For immediate release: 09-26-05
Red Tide in Extreme Levels
Red tide samples taken today reflect an extreme red tide presence on South Padre Island, according to the UT-Pan American Coastal Studies Lab.
Red tide is measured by a cells per milliliter count with counts lower than 100 being a low presence; counts from 100-1,000 a moderate presence; and counts higher than 1,000 an extreme presence. As of today, the following counts have been made:
-West end of the Queen Isabella Memorial Causeway, Port Isabel: 1,635 cells/ml, light aerosol (water discoloration reported at this location); -Brazos Santiago Pass: 2,157 cells/ml, light aerosol; and
-Surf at the UT-Pan American Coastal Studies Lab, 2,458 cells/ml, light aerosol.
Red tide is a naturally-occurring, higher-than-normal concentration of the microscopic algae Karenia brevis, which produces a toxin that affects the central nervous system of fish so that they are paralyzed and cannot breathe, according to TPWD. The fish subsequently die resulting in red tide blooms from dead fish that wash ashore.
Respiratory problems consistent with a red tide are coughing, sneezing and tearing. Those with severe respiratory problems should avoid red tide areas. Pets may show similar symptoms. For the latest information on the red tide, call 1-800-792-1112, and press 4, then 9.
Melissa A. Zamora
Communications Coordinator
South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau
(956) 761-3005 ext. 115
(956) 761-3024 fax
http://www.sopadre.com
Melissa@sopadre.com
Just want to clarify that the above release is from last year's extreme counts. Thanks!
Melissa
Melissa I can do the fact-checker thing but it was the TPWD site that has the chronology of red tide, as well as another Texas site. The value of about 3,000 cells/ml does not sound all that far off. Note that in your message this constituted "light aerosol." That's the fumes that Sandy Feet hates so much. Being skeptical as well, I will check with the "Red Tide Rangers" as to what the peak concentrations were. I did not mean to be tacky.
I must admit I'm not an oceanographer or aquatic biologist. However, I've been in the air quality business for about a dozen years. The "aerosol" mentioned by UT Pan-AM is caused by (1) evaporation, (2) wind advection, and (3) wave action. This is why moderate to high counts of Karnia brevis in the surf can be debilitating, as you have all three.
-Sam
Well dang, Melissa, it turns out there's very little actual data on the Internet for the 2005 episode of red tide (Karenia brevis). Maybe you know better because you were on the HAB Workgroup. But I was able to find that previous red tides had been well above 30,000 counts per ml in 1997 (SPI). Three sources including Randy Blankenship verified that 250 is when fishkills can occur and yes, the concentrations in the area were closer to several thousand.
If you recall, the September-October episode was fairly severe because of high wind and wave action (Rita). Even on the bayside of the Island, we coughed. There were several reports of surfers becoming nauseous or becoming temporarily blind (those were some large waves after all).
It does seem strange, we spend all this tapayer money on monitoring and testing yet there is no handy evidence about the actual cell counts at the local level. Is this another case of feelings winning over science again?
Sam, and others:
Would it be accurate to say that Red Tide is mostly seasonal - with Sept./ Oct. being the most likely months for Red Tide precursors to be met?
I would hate like heck to make expensive vacation plans and have them ruined by Red Tide.
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