Local News in Brief : Huntington Beach : Red Tide of Plankton Discolors Ocean Area
A red tide swept into Huntington Beach this week, discoloring water around the pier and frightening lifeguards enough to call the county sanitation department.
The stuff turned out to be a harmless variety of plankton called noctiluca.
Surfers were the first to notice the red tide Wednesday. They notified lifeguards, who called the Fire Department. On Thursday, Fire Department workers collected samples and sent them to the sanitation department for microscopic analysis.
About two or three times a year when surface waters become warm, plankton bloom, forming what are popularly known as red tides. Blake Anderson, a director for Orange County Sanitation Districts, said some plankton species, such as gymnodinium and gonyaulax , are toxic if eaten in large quantities in shellfish. They can also irritate the skin.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
