A red tide monitoring station in Freeport continues to detect moderate to high concentrations of red tide, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reports.
Brazos County Parks this month reported respiratory symptoms caused by aerosols, discolored water, and scattered dead fish at Quintana Beach and Follet’s Island Beach.
Dead fish and discolored water have been reported within the lower reaches of the Brazos River (Freeport Channel), “Old Brazos” River, and San Bernard River.
The presence of red tide on the upper coast was confirmed on Sunday, Sept. 3, along the upper Texas coast and the Lower Laguna Madre. The microalgae that cause red tide — Karenia brevis — is a naturally occurring organism that produces a toxin affecting the central nervous system of fish, causing paralysis and the inability to breathe. The last red tide occurrence in Texas was in 2018 and occurred in the upper and middle coast of Texas.
Anyone near the water during red tide may experience irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, as well as coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.
