What’s green and gold and red all over?
What’s green and gold and red all over? avatar

By , on November 29th, 2012 3 comments   Microbes, Plankton   , , , ,  

There’s a sizable red tide event unfolding in Australia right now, where thick slicks of red planktonic algae are washing up on Sydney’s iconic beaches, including the most famous beach in the whole country: Bondi. Web news sources are replete with dramatic pictures; I especially liked this one of vermilion surf juxtaposed with the tuquoise . . . → Read More: What’s green and gold and red all over?

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San Diego red tide eaten alive by single-celled predator
San Diego red tide eaten alive by single-celled predator avatar

By , on October 23rd, 2011 3 comments   Ecology, Microbes   , , , , , , ,  

GET IN MAH BELLY! These huge predatory dinoflagellates have consumed smaller bioluminescent dinoflagellates. The red tide that has lit San Diego for several weeks is ending in a microscopic bloodbath. The above photo was taken by Linsey Sala, the manager of the Pelagic Invertebrates Collection at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She writes: This image was . . . → Read More: San Diego red tide eaten alive by single-celled predator

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Blue whales in a red tide
Blue whales in a red tide avatar

By , on October 1st, 2011 2 comments   Microbes   , , , , , ,  

Check out these gorgeous photos of blue whales going through the red tide! Eddie Kisfaludy took them with his iPhone from a small plane off La Jolla Shores, and they are published here with his permission. (Thanks, Eddie!) For more information on the current red tide – still going strong today – see our FAQ . . . → Read More: Blue whales in a red tide

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The San Diego red tide: FAQ from Scripps professor Dr. Peter Franks
The San Diego red tide: FAQ from Scripps professor Dr. Peter Franks avatar

By , on September 27th, 2011 100 comments   Ecology, Microbes, Scientist!   , , , , , ,  

Dr. Peter Franks This is a guest post modified from two emails by professor of biological oceanography Peter Franks, reprinted here with his permission. Peter is a phytoplankton ecologist who studies how the physical processes in the ocean influence the growth and distribution patterns of phytoplankton, so he’s often the go-to guy on red tides. . . . → Read More: The San Diego red tide: FAQ from Scripps professor Dr. Peter Franks

The San Diego red tide: FAQ from Scripps professor Dr. Peter Franks avatar