CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Red tide has been confirmed in several regions of the Texas Gulf and although it has not been detected on our beaches, that doesn't mean it wont.
Harte Research Institute Chair for Ecosystem Processes Michael Wetz said that Saharan dust can actually play a big part in these blooms forming offshore.
"The red tide is a microscopic algae that under certain conditions can produce a toxin that is pretty nasty," he said.
Wetz said the toxin can cause fish kills and respiratory issues in both humans and animals, and it is all-around unpleasant to have lingering.
"The blooms usually start offshore and then work their way toward the coast and into our bays and estuaries. Right now it seems to be more on the North Coast around Matagorda to Galveston," he said.
Wetz said the blooms like warm late-summer water temperatures and our salty estuaries and travel through currents.
"They really do rely on the ocean currents to move them around, so that's determined by what the wind is doing as well," he said.
Here's what Wetz said residents can look out for.
"If they see discolored water or dead fish, they can report it to the Texas Parks and Wildlife's Spills and Kills team; their information is online," he said.
The latest red tide occurrence in Texas was in 2018 and occurred in the upper and middle coast of Texas, which is when we did see it right here in our area last.
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