State Monitors Red Tide Bloom | News

A glider taking water samples to find red tide is deployed alongside a Mote research boat in this undated file photo.

A USF underwater glider is ready to deploy in this undated photo.

A USF underwater glider collects samples of water to determine the concentration of K. brevis (red tide algae) cells are present.

The state’s red tide map Friday showed high concentrations of the algae off Nokomis (red) and medium (orange) at Venice Inlet. Samples from Manasota Key this week showed lowe (yellow) concentrations. To see updates of this map, visit myfwc.com/research/redtide/statewide/.

A glider taking water samples to find red tide is deployed alongside a Mote research boat in this undated file photo.

A USF underwater glider is ready to deploy in this undated photo.

A USF underwater glider collects samples of water to determine the concentration of K. brevis (red tide algae) cells are present.

ENGLEWOOD — State wildlife officials are using underwater gliders to monitor a red tide bloom that was detected off area beaches this week.

Scientists detected the algae, known as Karenia brevis, in multiple samples in Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Manasota county waters, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which emailed a statement Friday.

Sarasota County officials issued a health advisory for beaches in Nokomis, Venice and Englewood on Wednesday. The advisory was still in effect Friday.

“USF-College of Marine Science and Mote Marine Laboratory have each deployed a glider equipped with sensors to better understand conditions offshore,” the agency stated. “The information collected will help direct future sampling and forecasting efforts.”

The FWC Center for Red Tide Research is coordinating the efforts. Gov. Ron DeSantis requested the creation of the center in 2019, and this year’s budget is $4.8 million, according to the FWC.

“The Center for Red Tide Research brings together state and local governments, universities, private sector partners, and citizen scientists to enhance statewide red tide monitoring and conduct applied research on red tide,” officials stated in the email.

Samples showed high concentrations of the algae at Nokomis Beach in samples taken Oct. 17. A second batch of samples taken Wednesday show medium concentrations at the Venice Inlet and North Jetty Park. Low concentrations were detected off Caspersen Beach-Manasota Key in South Sarasota County.

No fish kills have been reported at those beaches as of Wednesday.

“Some people may have mild and short-lived respiratory symptoms such as eye, nose, and throat irritation like those associated with the common cold or seasonal sinus allergies,” county officials stated in the advisory this week.

People with breathing problems, such as asthma could experience more severe effects.

People who are sensitive to red tide or experience these symptoms should “avoid the beach or go into an air-conditioned space,” the release states. “If symptoms do not subside, contact your health care provider for evaluation.”

The Department of Health offered the following recommendations:

• Do not swim around dead fish.

• If you have chronic respiratory problems, consider staying away from the beach as red tide can affect your breathing.

• Do not harvest or eat molluscan shellfish and distressed or dead fish. If fish are healthy, rinse fillets with tap or bottled water and throw out the guts.

• Keep pets and livestock away from water, sea foam and dead sea life.

• Residents living in beach areas who experience respiratory symptoms are advised to close windows and run the air conditioner (ensuring that the A/C filter is maintained according to the manufacturer’s specifications).

• If outdoors, residents may choose to wear paper filter masks, especially if onshore winds are blowing.

While the red tide algae is natural to the Gulf in concentrations less than 10,000 cells per liter of water, when concentrations exceed 100,000 cells per liter of water people can suffer from throat irritations, coughing, other respiratory and other ailments. Intense concentrations kills fish and other marine life, as well as sometimes staining Gulf waters a reddish brown tint.

For more information about red tide and to find updated maps, visit myfwc.com/research/redtide/statewide

For more information about red tide visit:

FWC is doing twice weekly updates on red tide for the state at myfwc.com/research/redtide/statewide/, including a sampling map that is updated daily.

DOH Sarasota weekly sample results are posted at www.ourgulfenvironment.net.

Current beach conditions can be checked at Mote Marine's website, visitbeaches.org.

NOAA has a Gulf of Mexico HAB forecast (updated twice weekly while the bloom persists) that can be found at tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/hab/gomx.html.

Florida Poison Control Centers have a toll-free 24/7 Hotline for reporting illnesses, including health effects from exposure to red tide at 1-888-232-8635.

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