Abstract
Red tides occur all over the world but the farthest north they have been
detected in Alaska is Cook Inlet. They are large blooms of toxin producing
dinoflagellates that may color the water a deep red. The key point is the
production of toxin. Red tides can actually produce other colorations of the
tides, but not all colored tides are necessarily toxic. The toxin is taken in by
filter feeding animals and stored in their flesh. The effects of the toxin occur
in the predators of these organisms. The only red tide that is known to have
occurred this far north is the PSP, Paralytic Shellfish Poison, which is a toxin
that disrupts nerve functions. There is significant commercial and sport
harvesting of shellfish along the Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet beaches. We
propose a variety of monitoring methods. They include the monitoring of the
medical facilities, periodic analysis of the shellfish, plankton tows, cyst10/11/2014 High school student paper: Red Tides
https://seagrant.uaf.edu/nosb/papers/2001/Skyview-redtide.html 2/13
analysis and designated cultures of mussels and oysters. In addition, personal
use kits are also being investigated and may be available in the near future