Top 10 Red Tide Facts Beachfront buyers for properties along the shoreline, you may want to understand the red tide effects. Read these top 10 red tide facts before you invest on your dream home with Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean views. This post was inspired by a beachfront buyer who called from Michigan. He asked me “what is Red Tide?”   1.        Red tide is caused by a natural plant like microorganism called Karenia brevis. 2.        The organism produces a toxin that can affect the central nervous systems of fish, birds, mammals and other animals. 3.        At high concentrations (blooms), the organism may discolor the water – sometimes red, light or dark green or brown. 4.        Red tides or harmful algal blooms (HABs) happen worldwide. Karenia brevis is found almost exclusi... 01/01/2013