Documents Artificial Reefs Coral Reefs Eco half yearly report of Kuwait Environment (Arabic) Eco monthly report of additive June 99 UVABC (Arabic) Electricity in Kuwait Hazardous Waste Disposal Kestrels of Kuwait PET Red Tide (English) Red Tide (Arabic) 1-Eco-Conditions-Information-Copyrights-Trademarks-V2-2002 2-Eco-How to use this CD-V2-2002 3-Eco-Kuwait Environmental Strategy-V2-2002 EIA Booklet Red Tide (English) Red Tide Harmful Algal Bloom Population Explosion "Red Tide" A literature review In September 1999 Kuwait's marine environment was hit by toxic phytoplanktons that led to massive fish kill. At the beginning this phenomena was puzzling and several explanation were given. ECO surveyed the coastal areas extending from Al-Salmiya to Al-Doha area (about 25 km) and came with the explanation of a "Red Tide" and our report was published in the prestigious "Al-Qabas" daily news paper on 21 of September 1999. The following are texts related to Harmful Algae Blooms (HAB). Planktons are organisms that have a limited power of locomotion and are weak swimmers and cannot swim against the current. Planktons can be divided into animal planktons (zooplankton) and Plant planktons (phytoplanktons). There are certain species from the phytoplanktons class Dinoflagellates that produces biotoxins under certain circumstances. When this occurs it is known as Red Tide due to the discoloration that might occur to the water as a result of the red pigments that can be found in certain species. Red Tide is both a natural phenomena and a phenomena that occur due to certain circumstances such as: Sewage effluent. Run off from farms and lawns. Warm surface temperatures. High nutrient contents (Nitrogen and phosphorus). Cam seas. Sunny weather after a rainy period. High temperature. Lack of wind. The dinoflagellates consume the nitrogen and Phosphorous afterwards they bloom and when they die they absorb more oxygen suffocating marine life. The population explosion is a coastal phenomenon. The Red Tide damages the gills and creates a low oxygen conditions as bloom biomass decays. The species responsible for Red Tide are: Gonyaulax tamarenis (Canada and new England cost). Gonyaulax catenella (Pacific to Alaska). Ptychdiscus breve (Gulf of Mexico). It is important to mention that toxic planktons may be numerous enough to toxify shell fish but not sufficiently abundant to discolor water. Only a few marine organisms accumulate these toxins. Shell fish are particularly prone to contamination (Filter feeders). Biotoxins are stored in the digestive tract (stomach). In Florida Red Tide blooms typically begin in the Gulf of Mexico about 40-80 miles. Of shore and move slowly south east with the current towards Tampa Bay. The effect can be many square miles areas. Exposure to biotoxin. Severe bloom fish die rapidly from the nerotoxic effects which enters their blood stream through the gills. Because the fish die so quickly these toxins do not have time to build up in their tissue. However, fish exposed to lower sub lethal concentrations mat accumulate these toxins in their body. Red Tide populations below fish kill level pose a serious problem through shellfish contamination. It was noticed that Red Tide along Florida is a natural process that is not caused by pollution and play an important ecological role in Florida coastal region. Red Tide organisms convert solar energy to chemical energy thorough the photosymtheis process. Red Tide is caused by the Species named G.Breve. It is found in warm salt water and is affected by weather and currents. G. Breve may create: Red Sheen. Brownish-Red sheen Yellow to Green sheen Not visible at all. G. Breve may enter a dormant state (almost to four years) at some points in their life cycle by forming cysts which settle miles off the west coast of Florida in ocean bottom sediments creating a "Seed Bed" effect. Scientist think that strong flows of warm water from the Gulf stream may carry the algae up the east coast and inshore to the Carolinas. It can be generated 10-50 miles offshore. Red Tide toxins affect fin fish in a deadly manner. However, shell fish are unaffected. They have the ability to with stand the biotoxins and purify them selves afterwards. It was noticed that certain species like the Pfiesteria piscida have 24 life stages. It was also noticed that toxin species has risen from 22 -55 species. It was noted that algal population explosion species were used to be confined to certain areas. However, this is not the case any more. The harmful algae can be transferred by the following: Algal species are transferred by ballast water from the ships. Pollutants and nutrients. Ocean currents deposit seed population. Eating toxic shellfish can cause the following: Caused by biotoxins from class dinoflagellated. Paralytic shell fish poisoning (PSP). Diarrhetic Shell fish Poisoning (DSP). Neurotic Shell Fish Poisoning (NSP). II- Caused by biotoxins from diatoms: Amnesic Shell fish Poisoning (ASP). III- Caused by biotoxins from epibenthic dinoflagellates: Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (CFP). Such dinoflagellates are attached to the surface of many coral reef communities. Single clam can contain sufficient toxin to kill a human. It was noted that species near the shore are linked to pollution. Others like G. Breve can originate offshore in low nutrient water. Lab studies shoed that G. Breve can survive in a sealed container for up to 2 years on organic bacterium i.e. no nitrogen from man made pollutants. Red tides are typically isolated patches that don't blanket every stretch of beach. They often concentrate around wind or tide protected areas like man made jetties. Eating toxic shellfish can cause PSP in humans. This is caused by saxitoxin produced by G. tamarensis and very potent toxin. After ingestion this poison immediately affects the nervous systems and symptoms occur within 30 minutes. The symptoms are: Tingling of the lips and tongue. Spread to the face, neck, fingertips and toes. Head ache, dizziness and nausea follow. After 5-10 hours muscular paralysis and respiratory difficulty may occur. Reported fatalities are present. Treatment: Pumping the stomach including vomiting. Charcoal hemoperfusion. Alkaline fluids such as sodium bicarbonate as the toxin is unstable in alkaline solutions. Toxin tolerance in humans from PSP is 80 Ug per gram of raw edible fish meat. Shell fish clams, oyster’s mussels and whelks. It was reported that fish kill create severe respiratory irritation to humans along the shore.