New red tide map shows concentrations in SWFL

The latest red tide map shows high concentrations along Sanibel Island and near Englewood. There is also medium concentration near Pine island Sound. WINK News looked at whether cooler temperatures could help fight against red tide.

“I’m totally cool with wearing jeans and a sweater or whatever if it means dead fish are gone,” Jason Akrami said.

Akrami said it’s a good tradeoff and said this past summer in Southwest Florida was brutal.

“You’d walk down, and it was like a war zone — small fish, big fish just laying across,” Akrami said.

The beaches are mostly clear in Collier County. New red tide tests show levels near Keewaydin and very low levels on south Marco Island.

“I hope it doesn’t come back for a long time,” Akrami said.

The City of Naples natural resources manager told WINK News the cool weather can only help. He said the bigger the drop in temperature, the longer the cooler weather sticks around and which way the wind blows can also lessen red tide’s impact.

“I think it’s good that, the change in climate, it’s getting colder, the effect on the ecosystem,” Tom Getty III said. “The ocean is important to try to bring this back into balance.”

For now, beach goers are enjoying the taste of fall and what it brings.

“A little wind breaker down here and if it makes the red tide subside, we’re all for it,” Karren Popple said.