Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists are monitoring a red tide bloom off the Galveston coast that has produced fish kills and prompted reports of respiratory irritation among beachgoers, the agency said in a Sept. 14 media statement.
TPWD said biologists began receiving reports of the bloom on Sept. 8. Staff with the department’s Kills and Spills Team, which investigates fish and wildlife kills resulting from pollution or natural events, have continued to track the occurrence.
According to the statement, TPWD staff have been monitoring fish kills and collecting water samples from Crystal Beach on the Bolivar Peninsula south to the north jetty at Bolivar Roads. Crews are also monitoring roughly 12 miles of southern Galveston Island stretching from the south jetty, including the area around Stewart Beach and Pleasure Island Pier.
Water samples indicate moderate to high concentrations of red tide cells, the agency said, and beachgoers have reported mild to severe respiratory irritation from the bloom. As of Sept. 14, the fish kills were composed primarily of Gulf menhaden and striped mullet, though other common species were being observed in smaller numbers. The Kills and Spills Team is continuing to monitor the extent and composition of the event.
TPWD directed questions about human health or the human consumption of fish and shellfish to the Texas Department of State Health Services, which the agency said maintains a webpage on harmful algal blooms, seafood and aquatic life.
Red tide is a naturally occurring, higher-than-normal concentration of the microscopic algae Karenia brevis, according to the department. The algae produce a toxin known as brevetoxin that affects the central nervous system of fish by paralyzing them and interfering with their breathing, which is why blooms often leave dead fish washing up on Gulf beaches. When the algae reproduce in dense concentrations, the agency said, they can be visible as discolored patches of ocean water, often reddish in color.
The department said additional facts and answers to commonly asked questions are available on its red tide FAQ webpage, and that its Kills and Spills Team will continue monitoring the bloom.