> From: "Steven A. Holtzman" <sh_at_actglobal.net> > Now you have me worried ;-) Is the red tide in Florida the same as the red > tide that we get in California? We have always paddled in it---but I don't > remember anyone intentionally rolling in it. Is it safe for paddlers to be > in this? It can be confusing. Checking with your state's department of fisheries for quarantine dates might be a good starting point as the color of the water is not always an indicator for toxin-producing organisms. CDHS (California Department of Health Services) website shows annual mussel quarantine is May 1 - Oct 31 (may be extended to include all bivalve shellfish if levels of toxins are unsafe). As to whether or not it is safe for paddlers, it seems to depend on the paddler and level of toxins. Some (maybe most) have no reaction to contact with "red tide." Some people experience skin and eye irritation upon contact with the toxins while some experience respiratory problems just standing on the beach. Of course, eating contaminated shellfish can be deadly. Therefore, you can find websites which say it is safe to swim in "red tide" and others that say it can be unsafe for some individuals to simply stand on the beach near red tide. Seems to depend on the individual and concentration levels. I found this number which is the Shellfish Information Line for CDHS 800-553-4133 You might try these sites for more info.... Regional Contrasts: http://state-of-coast.noaa.gov/bulletins/html/hab_14/regional.html Red tide: http://microbiology.jbpub.com/microfocus.cfm?chapter=25&MFNumber=2 Public Health Fact Sheet (different organisms along different shores): http://www.state.ma.us/dph/fpp/redtide.htm About Red Tide (mentioned in my other message) http://www.marinelab.sarasota.fl.us/~mhenry/WREDTIDE.phtml And to get you really confused about it all :-) Myths About Red Tides http://seafood.ucdavis.edu/Pubs/natural.htm Jackie *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Oct 31 2001 - 09:34:56 PST
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