County Workers Busy Cleaning Up Fish Kills Caused by Red Tide

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — With red tide persisting, Tampa Bay counties have been busy cleaning up dead marine life from beaches. Crews began the cleanup last week and are continuing to monitor beaches for additional fish kills.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, fish kills suspected to be related to red tide were reported on beaches in Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, including Tampa Bay, Boca Ciega Bay and within the Intracoastal Waterway.

Satellite imagery shows a patchy bloom of red tide off the Pinellas and Pasco County coasts.

A new GIS map shows the latest water sample testing data from both the county and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Forecasts show the bloom moving northward up the coast during the next four days.

A patchy bloom of the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, persists on the Florida Gulf Coast. Over the past week, K. brevis was detected in 79 samples, with bloom concentrations observed in one sample from Pasco County, 11 samples from Pinellas County, three samples from Hillsborough County, seven samples from Manatee County and one sample from Charlotte County.

Even when red tide is present off the coast, it is not necessarily present at all beaches. Residents and visitors can check beach conditions at www.beachesupdate.com and via the Red Tide Respiratory Forecast Tool.

Red tide kills marine life by producing a potent toxin that affects the central nervous system of the fish. The toxin can also affect birds, sea turtles, mammals and other marine animals.

In humans, red tide can also cause respiratory symptoms in people such as eye, nose, and throat irritation similar to cold symptoms. Some people with breathing problems, such as asthma, might experience more severe symptoms. Usually, symptoms go away when a person leaves the area or goes indoors.

For additional information about red tide and the current red tide bloom, including information on how to report a fish kill or other wildlife effects, consult health authorities about human exposure, or locate other resources, visit the FWC's Red Tide-Related Hotlines and Information Sources article.