REDTIDE: PERCEPTION, ITS

PRESENCE AND EFFECTS IN

ENVIRONMENT AND HUMANS IN
SORSOGON PROVINCE

AUTHORS:
JOCELYN MENDOZA
JHONA NAÑOZ
MARVIN CUADRA
 I. INTRODUCTION
Fishing is the largest extractive use of wildlife in the world
with demand exceeding the supply. This system of resource
extraction is expected to continue in the coming years as the
human population increases in the next ten years.
In Bicol, Sorsogon Bay (SB) was important fishing grounds
for small pelagic, demersal fishes and shellfish. Marine crabs
such as the blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) and the
Christian crab (Charybdis feriatus) have been abundantly
harvested in the area. Live trade for high valued species
including grouper, wrasses, crustaceans, and lobster are
common in SB because of the booming export market which
provided significant economic incentive among fishers.
Unfortunately, the presence of red tide in the area
alarmed the public as the BFAR (Bureau of
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) has given notice
that SB was one of the areas contaminated by it.
Affected areas includes the

Municipalities of Castilla,
Casiguran, Juban and
Magallanes which was
situated around the mouth of
bay.
II. PROBLEM STATEMENT/OBJECTIVES
OF THE STUDY
This research work is designed to
assess the current status of the
presence of red tide in Sorsogon Bay.
Red tide is a phenomenon caused
by algal blooms (Wikipedia
definition) during which algae
become so numerous that they
discolor coastal waters (hence the
name "red tide"). The algal bloom
may also deplete oxygen in the
waters and/or release toxins that
may cause illness in humans and
other animals.
 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The study research have the following objectives:

 To determine the effects of red tide on the lives
of the residents in coastal Municipalities of
Sorsogon Bay.
To know the possible solutions based on
responses of target respondents.
To analyze the data and come up with strategies
that could uplift the living of the affected areas.
 III. DEFINITION OF TERMS
1. Algal bloom or Redtide- is a rapid increase or
accumulation in the population of algae in freshwater
or marine water systems, and is often recognized by
the discoloration in the water from their pigments.

2. Demersal fishes- also known as groundfish, live

and feed on or near the bottom of seas or lakes. They
occupy the sea floors and lake beds, which usually
consist of mud, sand, gravel or rocks. dinoflagellates -
are single-celled eukaryotes constituting the phylum.
3. Dinoflagellates  are single-celled eukaryotes
constituting the phylum Dinoflagelatta
 III. DEFINITION OF TERMS
1. Dinoflagellata- Usually considered algae,
dinoflagellates are mostly marine plankton, but they
also are common in freshwater habitats. Their
populations are distributed depending on sea surface
temperature, salinity, or depth
2. Manatees are large, fully aquatic, mostly herviborous
marine mammals  sometimes known as sea cows.
3. Saxitoxin (STX) - is a potent neurotoxin and the
best-known paralytic shellfish toxin (PST). Ingestion of
saxitoxin by humans, usually by consumption of
shellfish contaminated by toxic algal blooms, is
responsible for the illness known as paralytic shellfish
poisoning (PSP).
 IV. LITERATURE REVIEW
Terminology
Red tide is a colloquial term used to refer to one of a variety of natural phenomena known
as harmful algal blooms. The term specifically refers to blooms of a species of dinoflagellate.
It is being phased out by some researchers because:
• Red tides are not necessarily red and many have no discoloration at all.
• They are unrelated to movements of the tides.
• The term is imprecisely used to refer to a wide variety of algal species that are known as
bloom-formers.
As a technical term, it is being replaced in favor of more precise terminology, including the
generic term "harmful algal bloom" for harmful species, and "algal bloom" for benign species.
The bloom like HAB’s is caused by microscopic algae that produces toxins that kill fish and
make shellfish dangerous to eat. The toxins may also make the surrounding air difficult to
breathe. HAB’s also include blooms of non-toxic species that have harmful effects on marine
ecosystems.
 IV. LITERATURE REVIEW

HARMFUL TOXINS PRODUCED BY RED TIDE:

Marine life exposure
Where red tides occur, dead fish wash up on shore for up
to two weeks after a red tide has been through the area. 
Some mollusks are not susceptible to the toxin, and
store it in their fatty tissues. Shellfish consume the
organisms responsible for red tide and concentrate
saxitoxin  (produced by these organisms) in their tissues.
The toxins released by the blooms can kill marine
animals including dolphins, sea turtles, birds,
and manatees.
 IV. LITERATURE REVIEW
Human exposure
Humans are affected by the red tide species by ingesting improperly
harvested shellfish, breathing in aerosolized brevetoxins and in some
cases skin contact. Some symptoms include drowsiness, diarrhea,
nausea, loss of motor control, tingling, numbing or aching of
extremities, incoherence, and respiratory paralysis.
Reports of skin irritation after swimming in the ocean during a red tide
are common, so people should try to avoid the red tide when it is in the
area.
For people with severe or chronic respiratory conditions, such as
emphysema or asthma, red tide can cause serious illness. The red
tide toxins can also accumulate in molluscan filter-feeders such as
oysters and clams, which can lead to neurotoxic shellfish poisoning in
people who consume contaminated shellfish
 V. METHODOLOGY
A. RESEARCH DESIGN
Descriptive research design
In a descriptive design, a researcher is solely
interested in describing the situation or case under
their research study. It is a theory-based design
method which is created by gathering, analyzing, and
presenting collected data. This allows a researcher to
provide insights into the why and how of research.
Descriptive design helps others better understand
the need for the research. If the problem statement is
not clear, you can conduct exploratory research. 
 B. RESPONDENTS/SAMPLE

The Study Site.

SB is situated at the southern coast of Luzon
Island with approximately 201 sq km bounded by
longitude 123°50’ and 124°0’ east and 13°0’ and
13°5’ north characterized by a large horizontal and
temporal salinity variation due to strong influence
of freshwater discharged from the rivers around
the bay (Villanoy C. & Ranola M.C.1995). Specific
landing sites in Sorsogon includes Magallanes,
Casiguran and Cambulaga
 Target Respondents
TARGET ENTITIES/INDIVIDUALS

LANDING SITES FISHERFOLK STUDENTS

GOV'T
EMPLOYEES

MAGAALLANES 30 30 15

CASIGURAN 30 30 15

CAMBULAGA 30 30 15

TOTAL 90 90 45

GRAND TOTAL 225

 SURVEY QUESTIONS
1. How does algal bloom or commonly known as red tide affect the economic livelihood in the coastal area espacially in Sorsogon
Bay, Sorsogon?
A. It affects much of our living.
B. Partially Affected
C. Not felt the effect.
D. Undecided
2. What precautions / action does the small fisherfolks do when handling this natural disaster?
A. Seek Government aid
B. Settle for another form of income
C. Do not engage in fishing and other related activities.
D. Undecided
3. What is the public's perception of red tide and how this varies among people?
A. caused by human
B. natural cause
C. both a and b
D. red tide is basically not harmful to humans
4. What are the red tide’s effects and impacts to the community in Sorsogon?
A. health crisis
B. economic crisis
C. marine wildlife crisis
D. all of the above
5. How does the local gov’t respond to this phenomenon?
A. formulate policy making for the safety of the water
B. publish local guidance in consuming shellfish or fish
C. both a and b
D. encourages community to eat shellfish because red tide is not harmful
6. What is the best solution to uplift the living of the affected families especially the fisherfolks?
A. Coordinate with the local government unit, NGO’s and other gov’t agencies on livelihood training.
B. provide microfinance services
C. Impok Drive
D. Undecided
 C. INSTRUMENTS

Descriptive-survey
Descriptive-survey research uses surveys to gather
data about varying subjects. This data aims to know
the extent to which different conditions can be
obtained among these subjects. 
Descriptive-status
This is a quantitative description technique that
seeks to answer questions about real-life situations.
 D. DATA ANALYSIS

Descriptive research design

Descriptive techniques often include
constructing tables of means and quantiles,
measures of dispersion such as variance or
standard deviation, and cross-tabulations or
"crosstabs" that can be used to examine many
disparate hypotheses.