Red Tide concerns in Southwest Florida

All eyes are on an area in the gulf for a suspected red tide bloom.

“Red tide is a type of phytoplankton, and it gives off the same signature from an aerial as other types of phytoplankton that can be picked up,” said James Evans with the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Commission.

The storm-tossed Gulf of Mexico could have churned up the waters, leaving behind an environment primed for red tide.

The last domino to fall that would push that bloom to our coast is if the tides and winds push it our way.

“We did have a pretty significant cold front with the, you know, winds coming out of the north, north, northwest and then northeast, so it is possible that that bloom could make its way down to Southwest Florida,” Evans said.

And if it does, the bloom will develop further.

David Tomasko, the Sarasota Bay Estuary program director, warns it could be awful.

“Those areas of yellow and red have typically been consistent with what the State of Florida calls high levels of the red tide organism, which is enough to cause fish kills, respiratory distress and things like that, and it’s a potent neurotoxin,” said Tomasko.

Countless people living along the coast would be at risk because it stretches for miles.

“Extends all the way from north of Tarpon Springs down to south of Sarasota, and it looks like it’s well in excess of 1,000 square miles,” said Tomasko.

Hopefully, the tides turn away from Southwest Florida and keep our waters fresh and clean.

Red tide can cause fish kills, respiratory irritation, and kill sea turtles, manatees, birds and dolphins.

Blooms can last a few weeks to more than a year, as it did following Hurricane Irma.