The Fishing Connection: First red, now brown tide?

Last week a very concerned lady Angler sent me this report from Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman Meridith Byrd.

It explains the reason why our bay looks like chocolate milk. I’m passing it on so everyone will understand the problem.

Red Tide Update - Though no discolored water or fish kills have been reported since the beginning of the year, low concentrations of red tide persist at a few locations inside Corpus Christi Bay.  

DSHS will continue to monitor the bays until cell concentrations drop below regulatory levels.

Brown Tide in the Lower Laguna Madre - TPWD has received reports of discolored water in the lower Laguna Madre and water sample analysis by UT-Pan American has confirmed a bloom of Aureoumbra lagunensis, the brown tide.  

The bloom is suspected to occur in patches throughout the lower Laguna all the way to the Land Cut.

Prorocentrum minimum in Rockport-Fulton area - Dark water was noticed in Rockport Harbor by a TPWD game warden on Sunday, Feb. 14.

Samples were collected and the cause of the mahogany-colored water was determined to be the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum.  

The bloom has also been seen in Fulton Harbor.  

P. minimum can produce the toxin okadaic acid, though it has not been known to be a toxic species in Texas.