Possible red tide appearing in SWFL may impact beachgoers

Reporter: Jolena Esperto Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:

Red tide, a harmful algae bloom that can infect people, animals and ecosystems, may have already begun to appear in Southwest Florida.

On Wednesday, a brown pelican was found unable to stand on Marco Island infected with red tide toxicosis.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced that testing will be done on Friday to determine whether algae is present in Southwest Florida waters.

Last week, the FWC tested the water and found no traces of harmful bloom in its sampling.

The symptoms of red tide are obvious, as those exposed to the toxic algae will experience coughing, sneezing and teary eyes.

Another clear indicator of the bloom would be dead fish in the water or on shore.

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