Red Tide Reported in Sarasota, Lee Counties

SARASOTA, FL — There’s good and bad news on the red tide front for beach lovers along Florida’s west coast. The bad news is karenia brevis, the organism that causes red tide, was detected in water samples taken recently from Sarasota and Lee counties. The good news is the levels weren’t all that high.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the red tide organism was detected in background concentrations taken in two samples collected from Lee County. It was found in background to very low concentrations in two samples taken from Sarasota County. The samples were drawn between Aug. 25 and Sept. 2, the state reported.

Samples taken from other counties along the west coast did not contain karenia brevis, FWC said. No fish kills or respiratory irritations were reported over the past week.

The state typically updates red tide information on Fridays, but was delayed in doing so until Sept. 6 because of Hurricane Hermine, an email from FWC said.

Red tide is an algae that occurs naturally in the Gulf that can cause respiratory irritations when it accumulates in large amounts. Toxins in red tide can “enter the air and cause respiratory irritation among beachgoers, such as coughing, sneezing or a scratchy throat,” the Mote Marine Laboratory explains on its website. Mote scientists conduct year-round monitoring of Bay area waters.

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.

Map courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife