Question: How do red tides and other harmful algae blooms affect fish and shellfish?
Answer: Most shellfish filter seawater to collect their food. As they eat, they may consume toxic phytoplankton and the toxins accumulate in their flesh, eventually becoming dangerous, even deadly, to fish, birds, animals and humans. The shellfish themselves are unaffected by the toxins.
Harmful algae blooms and the subsequent shellfish contamination can cause massive fish kills. The dead fish continue to be health hazards, because of the risk they will be eaten by birds and marine mammals.
Red Tides FAQ Index:
- What are red tides and other harmful algae blooms?
- What causes red tides and other harmful algae blooms?
- How do red tides and other harmful algae blooms affect fish and shellfish?
- How do red tides and other harmful algae blooms affect birds and marine mammals?
- How do red tides and other harmful algae blooms affect human health?
- What are the economic impacts of red tides and other harmful algae blooms?