Red tide returns to beaches

The water around Newport Pier wasn’t looking its usual blue-green

self Tuesday.

“It looks a little bit like chocolate milk around here by the

pier,” Newport Beach Lifeguard Capt. Eric Bauer said.

But it’s not Nestle Quik that’s giving the ocean its brownish hue.

Bauer said the source of the coloration is yet another red tide, a

phenomenon that has been seen around Newport Beach in recent weeks.

Algae blooms can give the ocean a reddish color, which can fade to

brown as algae dissipates in the water.

“It’s pretty thick, and it’s been back for a couple days,” Bauer

said.

Orange Coast College marine biologist Dennis Kelly and Defend the

Bay founder Bob Caustin said urban runoff has likely contributed to

this summer’s red tide. Runoff can carry nutrients, such as

phosphorous and nitrogen, into the water to feed the algae.

The recent arrival of black jellyfish could have also led to the

red tide, Kelly said. Most of the jellyfish have left Newport for

waters closer to San Pedro, but while here, the stinging

invertebrates were able to feast on zooplankton, tiny marine life

forms that typically eat algae. That means algae that could have

become another creature’s dinner stayed alive to color local waters.

In general, red tides do not make the surf dangerous, but swimmers

can reduce the risks of any infection by showering and rinsing their

ears with rubbing alcohol after leaving the waves. Shellfish, though,

can be dangerous to eat because they consume neurotoxins produced by

algae.

Caustin said he has no interest in swimming in runoff-fed algae.

“Life’s too short and medical bills are too expensive,” Caustin

said.

Red tides can pose a bigger problem for fish than people, Caustin

said. Algae blooms tend to reduce the oxygen level in the water,

which can kill fish.

The red tide has not been a big worry for anglers, though it has

limited the number of good fishing spots, Davey’s Locker Sportfishing

general manager Norris Tapp said. Anglers avoid fishing around waters

where the red tide is deep.

“We know that more than likely, there aren’t going to be that many

fish,” Tapp said.

Though the ride tide can look dingy in the daytime, the sight is a

different story after the sun goes down. The algae’s natural

bioluminescence can cause ripples in the water to look as if they are

glowing.

“It’s one of the most beautiful things one can see at the ocean at

night,” Caustin said. “Other than a full moon and a lover by your

side. I guess there’s a silver lining to everything.”