Miami-Dade Beaches Reopen For Weekend Despite Red Tide

MIAMI BEACH, FL — Miami-Dade beaches were allowed to reopen Friday despite the presence of red tide. County beaches north of Haulover Inlet were shut down Thursday after a water analysis determined there were elevated levels of the naturally occuring algae at those beaches. Officials left open beaches to the south, which incudes tourist-driven Miami Beach.

Employees at Haulover Park told Patch they were notified it was OK to reopen the 1.4 mile beach park.

Subscribe to Miami Beach Patch's free email news alerts and newsletters

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said he decided to reopen the beaches following a conference with officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the Florida Department of Health.

"Please bear in mind that the Florida Department of Health advises people with severe or chronic respiratory conditions, such as asthma, to avoid red tide areas," he said. "Swimming is safe for most people. In fact, beaches on the west coast of Florida, which have been plagued by red tide in recent months, remain open."

Gimenez said the county would be placing signs on the beaches to warn residents and visitors about the potential health effects of red tide.

"All beachgoers are advised to heed warnings at public beaches," the mayor added. "Miami-Dade County will continue to monitor the water at all of our public beaches, in cooperation with state agencies."

Thursday's closures affected Haulover Park, Sunny Isles Beach and Golden Beach, which are the northernmost beach communities along the coastline before entering Broward County.

The city of Miami announced that officials would be conducting water quality tests along Biscayne Bay on Thursday "out of an abundance of caution." City officials urged residents to avoid contact with flood waters ahead of King Tide this weekend, which is expected to start Saturday, Oct .6 through Oct. 13.

"At this time, the high counts of Karenia brevis have not been reported in Biscayne Bay," according to Miami city officials. "The lowest lying areas of Miami Beach that do see tidal flooding during King Tides are connected to Biscayne Bay."

City officials also said that Miami-Dade County has expanded its sampling area to include additional sites along the Atlantic coast and at the inlets to the bay.

"The City is continuing to monitoring our beach conditions," Miami officials said.

Further north, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis told reporters that Broward Beaches would remain open, but that officials have discovered dead fish along the water line, which is an indication of the presence of red tide.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Thursday that the state is offering $3 million in grants to St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties to help mitigate the effects of red tide through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

The naturally-occurring algae has been documented along Florida’s Gulf Coast since the 1840s and occurs nearly every year. Since 1957, Florida scientists have documented red tide on Florida’s Atlantic Coast only nine times. Scott declared a state of emergency in August related to red tide.

Watch the video below for a scientific explanation of red tide:

A red tide, or harmful algal bloom, is a higher-than-normal concentration of a microscopic alga (plantlike organism), according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. In Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, the species that causes most red tides is Karenia brevis, often abbreviated as K. brevis. To distinguish K. brevis blooms from red tides caused by other species of algae, researchers in Florida call the former the “Florida red tide,” FWC officials said.

View the statewide Red Tide Current Status. Call 866-300-9399 at any time from anywhere in Florida to hear a recording about red tide conditions throughout the state. Callers outside of Florida can dial 727-552-2448. For red tide health concerns, call the Florida Poison Control Information Center at 800-222-1222. For the latest conditions in Miami Beach click here. To report fish kills call 800.636.0511.

Haulover Park reopened on Friday. Photo by Paul Scicchitano