"if you're going to be outside, use a tight-fitting mask"

[donsu]

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index.php?smp=&lang=eng


Florida

Red tide is back at Central Florida beaches. Many beachgoers at Jetty Park in Brevard County were heading back to their cars before having a chance to soak up any rays on Thursday. "Everybody started coughing when we got out of the truck almost immediately. We thought we could tolerate it, but we've only been here for about an hour and it's time to go," beachgoer Gordon Halvorson said. "It's hard to breathe. You cough and you feel like you're not getting air," another beachgoer said. Birds are feasting on the dead fish that are lining the coast because of the red tide. Crews have been picking up the dead mullet fish and throwing them away. "It's not very nice. I thought it was just really bad seaweed or something," tourist Tanya Carr said of the smell at the beach. The Brevard County Health Department said if anyone is exposed to the harmful algae for an extended period of time, it could lead to more serious health problems. "It could exacerbate individuals who suffer from asthma and some of the other lung diseases, and require that they possibly go to a doctor or health care provider for some type of medical assistance," George Jackow of the Brevard County Health Department said. He said the best thing to do is stay indoors with the air conditioner running, and if you're going to be outside, use a tight-fitting mask.)

California

Hundreds of dead or injured seabirds have washed up on the shores of California in recent weeks, and scientists believe a red tide of marine algae is to blame. About 600 birds have been found stranded on beaches in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties since a large rust-colored algal bloom began circulating in the bay about three weeks ago, scientists say. About 70 of the birds have died, while 530 have been taken to wildlife rescue centers, said Michael Ziccardi, director of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network. The affected birds include loons, pelicans, western grebes, northern fulmars and surf scoters, said Dave Jessup, a veterinarian with the state Department of Fish and Game. Fish and marine mammals do not appear to be affected. Officials initially believed the birds were victims of the San Francisco Bay oil spill that has killed or injured at least 2,800 birds. But tests found that the sticky, yellow substance found on the Monterey Bay birds was not petroleum or vegetable oil. Scientists now believe the birds were injured by a protein that sticks to the birds' feathers and disrupts their ability to stay dry and warm, forcing them from the water where they live and feed. "The birds are in distress because their feathers are no longer keeping them warm," Ziccardi said. "It's doing something to their waterproofing."

Researchers believe the protein is produced either directly or as a byproduct of the red tide, which is common in Monterey Bay this time of year. Red tides that produce a neurotoxin have been known to kill sea lions and other marine mammals, but such algal blooms have not occurred in several years. Many of the beached birds are cold and wet but otherwise healthy when they arrive at the rescue centers, and they recover quickly after their feathers are cleaned, Ziccardi said. Algal blooms are increasing in frequency and intensity around the world, a trend scientists say may be linked to climate change as well as the use of pesticides and fertilizers. The algal bloom likely will stay in Monterey Bay and continue injuring birds until a major weather system pushes the red tide out, Jessup said.)
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it is now the end of Nov.


China

Due to a suspected red tide sighting, the red flag has been hoisted at Silverstrand Beach. The Leisure & Cultural Services Department has advised beach-goers not to swim at the beach. Three winter beaches have been rated "good" and one "fair" this week, according to the Environmental Protection Department's latest grading of water quality. Among the four beaches opened all year round, Clear Water Bay Second Beach, Deep Water Bay and Silverstrand Beach have been rated "good". Golden Beach has been downgraded from "good" to "fair". The change is generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the beaches' bacteriological water quality. Seven gazetted beaches - Anglers', Approach, Ting Kau, Casam, Gemini, Hoi Mei Wan and Lido - are closed to swimmers year round because of poor water quality. People should not swim at these beaches. As many beaches are likely to be more polluted than their grades suggested during and after periods of heavy rain, bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a storm or heavy rainfall.)
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red tide and algal poisoning is getting worse world wide - it is nothing to fool around with!

[whistle]

1. Thanks to off-shore oil drilling and rigs pumping in the Gulf

[alarimer]

3. Red tide has nothing to do with offshore drilling

It is a marine algae that blooms under certain conditions, generally having to do with a certain temperature and salinity, which is why most large blooms occur in the fall. What bothers people at the beach is breathing in the cells that become airborne. It causes respiratory irritation, coughing, etc. Those effects normally go away when you remove yourself from the area. Do not each shellfish (clams, oysters etc) which come from waters affected by red tide. Usually the state health departments will ban harvest from these areas until some time after the bloom has dissipated and the cells have been purged from the shellfish. Fish generally are safe to eat. They do not ingest the cells- what kills fish is paralysis of the nerves that control respiration.

[donsu]

2. kicking - this is important

nt

[Orsino]

4. Single-celled life forms were here first...

...and did quite well for 3.5 billion years. They'll be here for billions of years after we're gone.