Red Tide Continues to Cause Problems in Sarasota, Pinellas and Manatee Counties

SARASOTA, FL — Tampa Bay area residents with big beach plans for the weekend may want to check on the condition of local waters before diving in. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports that red tide is continuing to cause problems from Pinellas County south into Collier County.

In the Oct. 14 Red Tide Status report, FWC said that red tide persists along a six-county stretch that includes Pinellas, Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties.

“Fish kills affecting multiple species have been reported,” the agency wrote about the six counties. “Respiratory irritation has been reported in these same areas.”

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 in water samples as follows over the past week:

• Pinellas County – background to high concentrations in six samples
• Manatee County – background to high concentrations in 11 samples
• Sarasota County – background to high concentrations in 32 samples
• Charlotte County – background to low concentrations in five samples
• Lee County – background to medium concentrations in eight samples
• Collier County – background to high concentrations in 10 samples

Samples collected in other parts of the state over the past week did not contain Karenia brevis, the organism that causes Florida red tide, FWC said.

Florida red tide blooms can be rather patchy, according to Mote Marine. 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. 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 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