Florida Gulf Coast Red Tide Concerns Prompt Call for Research Funding

As thousands of fish wash up on shores from Pinellas and Manatee counties to Sarasota south to Collier, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan is calling on the federal government to help. The Republican, whose district includes Sarasota and Manatee counties, would like to see more money set aside for red tide research.

“Red tide is a clear and visible threat to the Suncoast’s environment and economy,” Buchanan said. “The recent bloom is devastating vulnerable marine life and discouraging tourists from visiting our beaches and coastal businesses. Congress needs to help protect our seashore by boosting red tide research and mitigation programs.”

Buchanan said red tide blooms are estimated to cause about $82 million in economic losses each year to the seafood, restaurant and tourism industries in the United States. During his time in Congress, Buchanan has co-sponsored bipartisan legislation for research into Karenia brevis, the organism that causes Florida red tide. That legislation called for $90 million for research to be distributed over a three-year period. He also supported President Barack Obama’s 2014 authorization to spend $82 million for research into the causes and control of algae blooms and for community response efforts.

As the current red tide bloom continues to wreak havoc on Gulf Coast beaches, Buchanan said more funding is needed.

“Southwest Florida is a beautiful, vibrant place to live and we need to take any threat to that standard of living seriously,” Buchanan said. “We need to understand more about the toxins in red tide so we can stop their damaging effects.”

It is unclear how much money Buchanan would like to see Congress earmark for research when it returns to Washington, D.C., next month.

Gulf Coast Red Tide Woes Continue

In its mid-week Red Tide Status update, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported Wednesday, Oct. 19, that a bloom from Pinellas County south to Collier County is continuing to cause problems.

“Fish kills affecting multiple species have been reported along Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota and Collier counties; respiratory irritation has been reported in Lee and Collier counties,” the state’s report said.

Over the past week, red tide was observed in water samples from different counties as follows:

• Pinellas – background to high concentrations in eight samples
• Manatee – background to medium concentrations in 14 samples
• Sarasota – very low to high concentrations in 34 samples
• Charlotte – background to low concentrations in four samples
• Lee – background to medium concentrations in 17 samples
• Collier – background to high concentrations in seven samples

About Red Tide

Red tide is a naturally occurring organism found in Gulf waters. When it accumulates in large amounts, it can kill fish and lead to respiratory irritation in people and animals.

Toxins in red tide can “enter the air and cause respiratory irritation among beachgoers, such as coughing, sneezing or a scratchy throat,” according to Sarasota’s Mote Marine Laboratory. Mote scientists conduct year-round monitoring of Bay area waters.

Florida red tide blooms, Mote noted, can be rather patchy. Beaches with background to high concentrations can be located in close proximity to one another. That means effects might be noticeable at one beach, but not at a nearby location.

Beachgoers with respiratory conditions, such as emphysema and asthma, may be more susceptible to red tide irritants. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recommends these public health tips when red tide is present:

• People who experience issues, such as nose, throat and eye irritations may want to leave the immediate area
• Those with severe or chronic respiratory conditions should avoid areas that are known to have active red tide
• When dead fish are present alongshore, it is advised that beachgoers avoid swimming in the water
• Red tide may also pose a risk to pets. Pets should not eat fish or drink water from water with a high concentration of red tide
• Recreational harvesting of such mollusks as hard clams, mussels and oysters is banded when red tide is present. To find out if harvest of shellfish is available in an area, visit the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Aquaculture online.

To find out the conditions on local beaches, check out Mote Marine’s online tracking tool. To find out more about red tide and its presence in Florida, visit FWC online.

To report fish kills, call the FWC’s Fish Kill hotline at 800-636-0511 or submit a report online.

Photo courtesy of the Manatee County Public Safety Department/ Map courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission