Red tide detected off Florida's coast, but don't go changing Spring Break travel plans
Temperatures are rising, which means people will soon be flocking to Florida beaches to catch some rays and perhaps take a dip in the warming waters of the Gulf or Atlantic. But swimmers beware - officials are closely monitoring the potential for red tide.
Red tide, or harmful algal blooms, can occur when algae in the ocean and freshwater grow out of control and produce powerful toxins that can harm or kill marine life, birds, and be dangerous to humans.
But don't go changing travel plans just yet if you are heading to the Sunshine State for Spring Break in the coming weeks.
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Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said that over the past week, the red tide organism Karenia brevis (K. brevis) was detected in 16 samples collected from along Florida's Gulf Coast.
Bloom concentrations have not been observed. However, cells were discovered in samples along or offshore of Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee and Charlotte counties in Southwest Florida.
In its weekly update, FWC said that it is continuing to use satellite data to help track nearshore and offshore conditions. It also said that patches of elevated surface chlorophyll that it had been tracking over the past few months appear to have dissipated, and it would continue to monitor the situation closely.
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Along Florida's southwestern coast, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in Pinellas County, background to low concentrations in Hillsborough County, and background to very low concentrations offshore of Manatee County and background to very low concentrations in Charlotte County.
In northwestern Florida and along Florida's East Coast, K. brevis was not observed.
In areas where K. brevis was not present or at background levels, no possible effects are anticipated.
Toxic Algae Bloom Becoming Deadly For Sea Lions, Dolphins Pacific Ocean
However, in areas with very low or low conditions, there could be some adverse health effects.
Respiratory irritation could occur in areas where very low or low concentrations were observed. However, FWC said in its latest update that no reports of respiratory irritation have been received.
Still, some fish kills suspected to be related to red tide have been reported over the past week for Southwest Florida at Turtle Beach in Sarasota County on Feb. 27.Original article source: Red tide detected off Florida's coast, but don't go changing Spring Break travel plans
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