red tide (redirected from red tides)

red tide

n.

A bloom of dinoflagellates that causes reddish discoloration of coastal ocean waters. Certain dinoflagellates of the genus Gonyamlax produce toxins that kill fish and contaminate shellfish.

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red tide

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Environmental Science) a discoloration of sea water caused by an explosive growth in phytoplankton density: sometimes toxic to fish life and, through accumulation in shellfish, to humans

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red tide

A population explosion of certain species of dinoflagellates, a kind of protozoan found in plankton. The dinoflagellates color the water red or reddish-brown and secrete a toxin that kills fish. Red tide usually occurs in warm coastal waters.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

red tide - seawater that is discolored by large numbers of certain dinoflagellates that produce saxitoxin brine, saltwater, seawater - water containing salts; "the water in the ocean is all saltwater"