The Florida Department of Health in Manatee County issued health alerts Nov. 9 for a red tide bloom off Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key.
The health department issued alerts for Bayfront Park and the Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria, as well as Coquina Beach South, the Coquina Bayside boat ramp and Longboat Pass in Bradenton Beach.
The health department, responding to water samples from the state taken Nov. 7, cautioned people to:
- Look for informational signage at beaches;
- Avoid swimming in waters with dead fish;
- Be especially cautious and stay away from the listed locations if they have respiratory conditions;
- Avoid harvesting or eating shellfish or distressed or dead fish from the listed locations;
- Wash skin and clothing with soap and fresh water if you have contact with red tide.
- Keep pets out of the water, sea foam and dead sea life.
Also, people living in beach areas were advised to close windows and run their AC.
What is red tide?
Red tide is one type of harmful algal bloom caused by concentrations of the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis, a microscopic algae found in the Gulf of Mexico.
Red tide typically forms naturally offshore, commonly in late summer or early fall, and is carried into coastal waters by winds and currents.
Once inshore, the organisms can use nearshore nutrient sources to fuel their growth.
Blooms typically last into winter or spring but they can endure for more than a year.
Is red tide harmful?
K. brevis produces potent neurotoxins — brevetoxins — that can be harmful to the health of marine life, wildlife and people.
Wind and wave action can break open K. brevis cells and release toxins into the air.
This is why people should monitor conditions and use caution when visiting affected water bodies.
People in coastal areas can experience varying degrees of eye, nose and throat irritation during a red tide bloom. Some individuals with chronic respiratory conditions like asthma or chronic lung disease might experience more severe symptoms.
Red tide toxins also affect the central nervous system of fish and other marine life, which can lead to fish kills and increased wildlife strandings or mortalities.
Eating contaminated seafood can cause neurotoxic shellfish poisoning in humans.
Symptoms include nausea and vomiting; tingling of the mouth, lips and tongue; and slurred speech and dizziness.
Asked Nov. 11 about whether Nicole would impact the bloom, the department’s environmental health division told The Islander via email: “We have no data concerning the effects TS Nicole had on the spatial distribution of the red tide levels observed in the Gulf.”
The next comprehensive mapping will be Nov. 18.
— Lisa Neff
