Health ConcernsAs the red tide blooms approach coastal areas, the breaking waves can cause the toxin to become mixed with sea spray. People in the coastal areas experiencing red tide blooms can experience varying degrees of eye, nose, and throat irritation similar to cold symptoms. When a person leaves the red tide area, the symptoms usually go away. People with severe or chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic lung disease are cautioned to avoid red tide areas. Shellfish like the bivalve mollusks; clams, oysters, and coquinas that are harvested from red tide areas should not be eaten. These molluskan shellfish are filter feeders that can filter large amounts of the red tide algae from the water and concentrate the toxin producing algae in their gut. Other seafood also commonly called shellfish such as crabs, shrimp, and lobster can be eaten because they do not filter water and will not concentrate the toxin. Scallops can be eaten if only the scallops muscle is eaten, as is normally the case. Scallop stew, which would use the whole animal, should not be eaten. Additional InformationThe location of current red tide events within Florida coastal waters as well as links to more detailed information about red tide organisms can be found on the Fish and Wildlife Research lnstitute
(formerly the Florida
Marine Research Institute)
home page.
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