Texas Parks and Wildlife - Harmful Algal Blooms Research & Education

The fish kill reported in Port Aransas on Aug 17 was NOT caused by red tide.

On August 17 the Coastal Fisheries Kills and Spills Team was notified of a fish kill along the Gulf beach of Port Aransas. A site visit was conducted on the same day and dead fish were seen mostly in the tidal pools during low tide. No new fish were observed washing ashore.

The fish kill, dominated by Gulf menhaden, was observed extending from the South Jetty of Port Aransas to just south of Access Rd 1. The greatest densities of dead fish were observed between the South Jetty and Avenue G.

Water samples collected along the beach by TPWD and UTMSI ruled out Red Tide (Karenia brevis) and confirmed a diatom bloom.

A low dissolved oxygen (DO) event in the early morning was identified as the cause of the fish kill. The uptake of oxygen by the bloom, Gulf Menhaden feeding on the bloom, and with low winds to prevent water mixing, created hypoxic conditions that caused the fish kill.

E.V. Spence Golden Alga update:

E.V. Spence Golden Alga Update:

The most recent water samples taken from E.V. Spence on 3/11/2020 showed golden alga cells count and toxicity levels have dropped. Golden alga levels peaked in January/February and has since declined to low levels. With the recent rains, E.V. Spence is on a small rise, so it appears the lake is in good shape going forward into spring.

There have been no new reports of red tide on the Texas coast. This means no reports of discolored water, fish kills or respiratory irritation. We will continue to monitor the coast and investigate any new reports we receive. Updates will only be given if red tide occurs again on the coast.

September 20, 2018

Upper Coast (Galveston Bay and Sabine Lake): Water samples taken by TPWD on 9/17/18 show very low concentrations of red tide at Bolivar Roads near the Houston Ship Channel.

Golden Crescent (Matagorda Bay and San Antonio Bay): Water samples show low concentrations of red tide at the Jetty in Matagorda County in Matagorda Bay. Other water samples taken in Saluria Bayou near Port O’Connor in Calhoun County show low concentrations of red tide.

Coastal Bend (Aransas Bay, Corpus Christi Bay and Upper Laguna Madre): Water samples from the following sites were tested for red tide between 9/18/18 and 9/19/18. There have been no recent reports of respiratory irritation.

• Bob Hall Pier and in Mustang Island State Park: low concentrations of red tide.
• The South Jetty in Packery Channel: very low concentrations of red tide.
• Corpus Christi Bay near Ropes Park or Swantner Park: No red tide.

Padre Island National Seashore (PINS): Very low to low concentrations of red tide were found by PINS staff at the Northern Boundary of the park, the Visitor Center, the 5 mile marker and the 10 mile marker on 9/18/18. For the most up-to-date information about conditions in this area, please contact the Padre Island National Seashore directly.

Rio Grande Valley (Lower Laguna Madre): Water samples from South Padre Island show no red tide present.

UPDATE: Waters samples from yesterday (9/17/18) show low concentrations of red tide near Port O'Connor in the Matagorda Ship Channel area. No reports of respiratory irritation at this time.

September 17, 2018

Upper Coast (Galveston Bay and Sabine Lake): No reports red tide.

Golden Crescent (Matagorda Bay and San Antonio Bay): No reports of red tide.

Coastal Bend (Aransas Bay and Upper Laguna Madre): Water samples collected by TPWD on 9/17/18 show only background levels of red tide in Mustang Island State Park and in Packery Channel. Water samples from Bob Hall Pier show low concentrations of red tide. No reports of respiratory irritation at these locations on 9/17/18.

Padre Island National Seashore (PINS): Reports of red tide and some respiratory irritation was reported last week. For the most up-to-date information about conditions in this area, please contact the Padre Island National Seashore.

Rio Grande Valley (Lower Laguna Madre): Water samples collected in South Padre Island show no red tide cells present.

Water samples are collected and analyzed by the Kills and Spills Team at TPWD in coordination with our federal and state partners. These samples are analyzed for Karenia brevis (red tide) and the densities of cells found are given the following designations:
• Background = Less than < 1 cell/ml
• Very Low = 1 to 10 cells/ml
• Low = 10 to 100 cells/ml
• Moderate = 100 to 1,000 cells/ml
• High = Greater than 1,000 cells/ml

RED TIDE UPDATE:

Upper Coast (Galveston Bay and Sabine Lake): No reports of red tide.

Golden Crescent (Matagorda Bay and San Antonio Bay): No reports of red tide.

Coastal Bend (Aransas Bay and Upper Laguna Madre): Water samples collected at the UTMSI Fisheries and Mariculture Lab in Nueces County on 9/11/18 indicated low cell concentrations. Samples collected on 9/12/18 indicate moderate cell concentrations.
• TPWD staff investigated a fish kill in Packery Basin in Nueces County consisting mainly of Gulf menhaden. Outbound tides pushed the fish out, depositing them along the beach front. Water samples collected in the area identified a localized red tide bloom in Packery Basin. Respiratory irritation was also reported in the area. Additional water samples were collected at Bob Hall Pier and Mustang Island State Park. Although no cells were observed at those sites, slight aerosol irritation was observed at Mustang Island State Park.

Padre Island National Seashore (PINS): For the most up-to-date information about conditions in this area, please contact the Padre Island National Seashore.

Rio Grande Valley (Lower Laguna Madre): No reports of red tide.

There has been no red tide in Texas this year. In the event of a red tide bloom, we will begin updating this page as well as the TPWD Red Tide Status webpage and the red tide status hotline.

Red Tide Status: https://tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/water/environconcerns/hab/redtide/status.phtml

Red Tide Hotline: (800) 792-1112 (select 'fishing' and then 'red tide')

Red Tide Status Information and current status of Red Tide along the Texas Gulf Coast

Yesterday, water samples were collected from Corpus Christi Bay after the persistent observation of discolored water.

Water samples confirmed a non-toxic algal bloom consisting of a mix of dinoflagellates. This type of bloom is not the same as the red tide blooms seen in Texas which consists of the microscopic algae known as Karenia brevis.

There have been no reports of any human health effects or fish kills from this bloom.

Golden Alga Update

A toxic golden alga bloom, which has caused multiple fish kills the past few months, is persisting in the upper portions of O.H. Ivie Reservoir and continues up the Colorado River all the way to Ballinger. Additionally, toxic conditions are present in the Concho River arm of O.H. Ivie and in Elm Creek near Ballinger. Toxic golden alga blooms only affect gill breathing animals and won't harm people or livestock. However, the bloom is negatively impacting our fish populations in these areas. Fishing is likely to be very poor in these areas. However, the lower portion of O.H. Ivie Reservoir appears to be unaffected and still offers good fishing.

All sites in the map below showed high toxicity on May 10th with the exception of site #2 Colorado River at the US-67 bridge in Ballinger, which was non-toxic. We will continue to monitor and provide updates as we get them.