Red Tide (Alexandrium tamarense)
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| Sizes | Giantmicrobes are based on actual microbes, cells, organisms and other critters, only 1,000,000 times actual size! Gigantic (GG) 40-60cm XL (XL) 25-38cm Original (PD) 12-20cm Minis (MM) 5-10cm each Keychain (KC) 5-10cm with clip |
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| Materials | Plush from all new materials. Stuffed with polyester fiber fill. Surface washable: sponge with water & soap, air dry. |
| Packaging | Each plush microbe includes a printed card with fun, educational and fascinating facts about the actual microbe or cell. |
| Safety | Every product meets or exceeds U.S. and European standards for safety. For ages 3 and up. |
All about Red Tide (Alexandrium tamarense)
FACTS: Red tides occur when environmental conditions allow certain types of algae to multiply so rapidly that they end up tinting the water! (Although algae come in a variety of colors, algal blooms are typically caused by reddish organisms.)
While in many cases blooms are not harmful, Alexandrium tamarense produces a neurotoxin that can kill. Initial symptoms include tingling, numbness, and a burning sensation of the lips and tongue. As the poison progresses, a rash, loss of motor control, behavioral changes, difficulty breathing, and, without treatment, even death can occur.
In addition, the algae can deplete oxygen supplies in the water, block sunlight, and mortally interfere with both the feeding and filtration processes of small marine life. The consequences can be felt all the way up the food chain.
In fact, some academics believe that the first of the 10 plagues in the Old Testament may have been a red tide! “...And all the water that was in the Nile turned to blood. And the fish in the Nile died and the Nile became foul.” They speculate that the death of frog-egg-eating fish allowed frogs to proliferate; when the abundance of frogs died of starvation, gnats and flies flourished, which brought disease, etc. – though whether the algae can be credited with a hailstorm, only God knows.