Pesky Red Tide Bloom Persists Along Gulf Coast

BRADENTON, FL — A red tide bloom that’s caused problems along Florida’s central and south Gulf Coast for months remains a lingering concern. While no fish kills or reports of respiratory irritation were reported to the state over the past week, water samples taken from Pinellas County south to Collier showed evidence of the organism.

In its midweek Red Tide Update report, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also noted that no high concentrations of the organism were found along the coast over the past few days. Red tide, also known as Karenia brevis, is a naturally occurring organism found in Gulf of Mexico waters. When it accumulates in large amounts, it can kill fish and cause respiratory problems for 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.

According to FWC, red tide was found in water samples as follows over the past week:

• Pinellas County – very low concentrations in one sample
• Manatee County – background to very low concentrations in five samples
• Sarasota County – background to medium concentrations in 22 samples
• Charlotte County – very low to medium concentrations in 14 samples
• Lee County – background to low concentrations in 27 samples
• Collier County – very low to low concentrations in four samples

Florida red tide blooms are known to be patchy, according to Mote Marine. That means a beach with a high concentration of the organism can be located close to another that’s not experiencing issues.

Beachgoers with respiratory conditions, such as emphysema and asthma, may be more susceptible to red tide irritants. FWC 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. FWC updates red tide status on Friday afternoons.

Map courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission