County rakes red tide detritus, HB monitors canals
The return of red tide to Anna Maria Island was met with a wave of countermeasures the week beginning July 26.
Manatee County commissioners approved $500,000 in tourist development taxes July 27 to fund measures countering the naturally occurring harmful algal bloom, such as paying local shrimp boat captains to remove red tide-related detritus before it reaches the shores and canals.
The move is one of many steps the county has taken to reduce the impact of red tide so far this summer.
Red tide is a type of harmful algal bloom that produces toxins that discolor water, kill marine life and irritate respiratory systems.
Last week, county staff began raking the island’s beaches to remove red tide-related debris from the shores, collecting the debris and biomass in dumpsters at the Manatee Public Beach and Coquina Beach.
The county manages both beaches.
Despite detecting “high concentrations” of red tide along the island, the county is keeping the beaches open as red tide has yet to cause widespread respiratory issues, according to a July 30 update from county administrator Scott Hopes.
“Here in Manatee County, our primary focus has been mitigation,” Hopes said. “We are approaching an attack on red tide from land, sea and air.”
Hopes said the county is using drones to scan waters for concentrations of red tide and dead fish and attempting debris removal vessels before reaching the shore.
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer praised the county’s response to the red tide outbreak.
“The county is taking care of the coastline and they’ve been doing a very good job,” Tokajer said in a July 29 interview with The Islander. “The beach rake people are out there every day … keeping it clean for our residents and visitors alike.”
Tokajer said the county raked the island beaches during past red tide outbreaks but the smell from the rotting biomass in the dumpsters lingered as an issue.
However, this time around, county staff are removing the dumpsters every day to prevent the smell from building up.
Tokajer said red tide had caused only minor issues so far for the city, including small fish kills in canals and some respiratory irritation for police officers patrolling the beaches.
He cautioned people with respiratory issues from visiting the beach while red tide persists.
In the meantime, Matt McDonough, the city’s public works administrator, told The Islander July 29 that staff is reviewing the canals “several times a day.”
However, the city has had it easy so far, according to McDonough.
“There has not been a whole lot of issues,” McDonough said. “We’re getting some fish that are pushing up, but not much. The county, with the rake, is doing a really good job.”
He said city staff will clean up small red tide-related messes but would need to seek professionals to help if it worsens.
“When it does hit, it’s strong,” McDonough said. “So I think we’ve just been lucking out with the tides and wind carrying it away from us.”
People interested in learning more about local red tide or the response can visit www.mymanatee.org/redtide.