Christopher Tittel, communication director for the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County said Jan. 6 in an email to The Islander that a local health alert for red tide remains active.
Red tide remains in the Gulf of Mexico at the 10th Street South Pier and at Coquina Beach South Boat Ramp, 1465 Gulf Drive S., both in Bradenton Beach.
A notice posted Nov. 15 for Tampa Bay near the former Rod & Reel Pier, 875 N. Shore Drive, Anna Maria, also remains in effect as of Dec. 20.
DOH-Manatee is asking visitors to the affected areas to take the following precautions:
- Check current water quality status at Protecting Florida Together.
- Do not wade or swim in or around red tide. Red tide can cause skin irritation, rashes and burning/sore eyes.
- Wash your skin and clothing if you believe you’ve had contact with red tide.
- Remain cautious and stay away from reported red tide locations, especially if you have chronic respiratory conditions.
- Residents living in beach areas are advised to close windows and run their AC. Make sure to maintain the AC filter.
- Do not harvest or eat molluscan shellfish or distressed or dead fish from a red tide location. If caught alive and healthy, finfish are safe to eat as long as they are filleted, and the guts are discarded. Rinse fillets with tap or bottled water.
Red tide can cause illness and death of other animals, such as pets and livestock. Keep animals out of the water and away from sea life and dead marine life. If your pet swims in waters with red tide, shampoo them as soon as possible.
Current FWC reporting
Over the week ending Jan. 3, the red tide organism Karenia brevis was detected in bloom concentrations of more than 100,000 cells/liter in 54 samples: nine from Pinellas County, four from Sarasota County and two from Lee County.
- brevis was observed at background to low concentrations in and offshore of Manatee County and background to medium concentrations in and offshore of Sarasota County.
Fish kills suspected to be related to red tide were reported to FWC’s Fish Kill Hotline and other partners over the past week offshore of Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties.
Respiratory irritation suspected to be related to red tide was reported over the past week in the same four counties.
For forecasts that use FWC and partner data, visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Gulf of Mexico Harmful Algal Blooms Forecast.
Forecasts by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides for Pinellas County to northern Monroe County predict variable movement of surface and subsurface waters over the next 3.5 days.
For more information on harmful algal blooms and water quality, visit Protecting Florida Together.
The FWRI HAB group in conjunction with Mote Marine Laboratory now have a facebook page, including interesting facts on red tide and other harmful algal blooms in Florida.