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Climatic events and bio-physical sequences involved in red tide formation have been characterized by mnemonic symbols and applied to geographical regions with spatial scales from meters to hundreds of kilometers and temporal scales ranging from daily to annual. Red tides may represent selections for optimization for sexual mating and for delivery of sexual or overwintering benthic cysts to 'seed bed' areas. A frontal convergence zone at the seaward edge of upwelling regions can exist and be a source of dinoflagellates transported into nearshore waters below a pycnocline. The physical hydrographic integrity of red tide surface patches enhances transport within geostrophic surface current jets with minimal dilution losses. Stepwise emigration and colonization are fortuitous consequences of red tide formation. Anthropogenic hypereutrophication along coastlines may have enhanced the efficiencies of stepwise emigrations, permitting colonization of areas not previously accessible.