red tide

American  

noun

1. a brownish-red discoloration of marine waters caused by the presence of enormous numbers of certain microscopic flagellates, especially the dinoflagellates, that often produce a potent neurotoxin that accumulates in the tissues of shellfish, making them poisonous when eaten by humans and other vertebrates.

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red tide British  

noun

1. a discoloration of sea water caused by an explosive growth in phytoplankton density: sometimes toxic to fish life and, through accumulation in shellfish, to humans

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red tide Scientific  

1. A population explosion of certain species of dinoflagellates, a kind of protozoan found in plankton. The dinoflagellates color the water red or reddish-brown and secrete a toxin that kills fish. Red tide usually occurs in warm coastal waters.

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Etymology

Origin of red tide

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

red tide

Sawfish necropsies have not revealed any pathogen or bacterial infections, nor problems with low water oxygen levels or contaminants such as chemicals, or toxic red tide.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 12, 2024

This behavior mirrors the natural processes at play when the dinoflagellates cause bioluminescence in the ocean during red tide events.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2023

A toxic red tide has returned to San Francisco Bay a year after an algae bloom killed thousands of fish in the area, The Mercury News reports.

From New York Times ● Aug. 2, 2023

A toxic red tide has returned to the San Francisco Bay Area, nearly one year after an unprecedented algae bloom killed thousands of fish and marine life in the region.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2023

Sierra leapt toward the nearest tree, caught a branch and swung up onto it as Robbie’s red tide passed.

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older