Red Tide Fish Kills Reported in Pinellas, Manatee and Sarasota Counties

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — A lingering red tide bloom along Florida’s Gulf Coast has resulted in a number of reports of fish kills and respiratory irritations in beachgoers, according to state officials.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released its regular red tide update Monday, Oct. 10, covering the period of Sept. 29 through Oct. 10. The report would have normally been issued on Friday, but was delayed thanks to Hurricane Matthew.

The expanded report shows active red tide in Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties. The state noted that fish kills “affecting multiple species have been reported” in all six counties. So have respiratory irritations.

Florida’s Gulf Coast has been dealing with on-again, off-again red tide issues for a few weeks. 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.

According to FWC, red tide was found as follows between Sept. 29 and Oct. 10:

• Pinellas County – background to medium concentrations in six samples
• Manatee County – background to high concentrations in 14 samples
• Sarasota County – low to high concentrations in 29 samples
• Charlotte County – background to medium concentrations in six samples
• Lee County – background to medium concentrations in 19 samples
• Collier County – background to very low concentrations in two samples

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 outMote 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