Red Tide Fish Kills, Respiratory Irritation Reported in Tampa Bay Area

CLEARWATER, FL — Tampa Bay area residents and visitors with big beach plans over the weekend might want to check on local conditions before heading out. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports that a persistent red tide bloom in the region is continuing to cause problems.

“Fish kills affecting multiple species have been reported along Pinellas, Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties over the past week,” FWC noted in its Dec. 2 Red Tide Status report. “Respiratory irritation has also been reported in some areas of Sarasota and Lee counties.”

Florida’s Gulf Coast has been dealing with on-again, off-again red tide issues for a few months. Red tide is a naturally occurring organism, also known as Karenia brevis, found in Gulf 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 to low concentrations in four samples
• Manatee County – very low to medium concentrations in 13 samples
• Sarasota County – low to high concentrations in 24 samples
• Charlotte County – very low to high concentrations in two samples
• Lee County – background to medium concentrations in 10 samples
• Collier County – background to low concentrations in two samples
• Monroe County – very low concentrations in one sample

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 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