JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Red tides result in smelly fish kills that often show up in the summer through fall and can be especially irritating for people near affected areas. When hurricanes churn with red tide, outcomes can be mixed sometimes exacerbating red tide or ending it altogether. Gradients between salty and less saline lighter water can concentrate red tide when hurricanes dump rain. While some oceanographers suspect rain runoff laden with pollution or sewage may boost red tides, there is agreement that nutrients play a significant role in generating red tide outbreaks. Red tides are suppressed when deeper ocean currents push nutrients toward shore in spring to summer months, where fast growing microscopic plants can prevail over the slower growing red tide organisms.