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This is the excessive proliferation of some species of toxic algae, many of them reddish in color, which occasionally occurs in the seas across the planet. When this happens, large red spots are seen on the surface of the water. “On the Brazilian coast this phenomenon can happen, however, the red tide caused by toxic algae is not common”, says biologist Maria do Carmo Carvalho, from the Environmental Sanitation Technology Company (Cetesb).
In general, these plants are found at great depths below the surface. In some peculiar situations, such as changes in temperature, alteration in salinity and discharge of sewage into sea water, they multiply rapidly and rise to the surface. There, they release toxins that kill a large number of fish, shellfish and other marine fauna.
“Beings contaminated by these toxins become unfit for human consumption”, says the biologist. Ingestion of contaminated food causes numbness in the mouth, gastrointestinal disturbances and can even kill.
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