Red Tide Spreads To Manatee County: Fish & Wildlife Conservation

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — As red tide spreads north, the organism also known as Karenia brevis has been detected in Manatee County, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.

This is the first report of red tide in Manatee County since the Piney Point wastewater crisis. Red tide had previously been reported in the Gulf of Mexico before the breach at the former phosphate processing plant, but recent findings show red tide in lower Tampa Bay, west of the Manatee River, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said its Sunday update on Piney Point.

“Based on results of water quality monitoring and utilization of Ocean Circulation Models, the red tide conditions in these areas are not thought to be a direct result of the Piney Point discharges,” the FDEP said. “However, elevated nutrients have the potential to exacerbate these algal blooms, and increased sampling is ongoing.”

K. brevis continues to affect other areas of Southwest Florida, as well. It was detected in 52 water samples from Manatee, Sarasota, Collier, Charlotte and Lee counties over the past week, the FWC said.

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The harmful algae were found in very low to low concentrations in Manatee County, in background to medium concentrations in Sarasota County, in very low to medium concentrations in Charlotte County, in very low to low concentrations in Lee County and in background to low concentrations in Collier County.

As of Friday, red tide was observed at the following Manatee County locations over the past week, according to the FWC:

• School Key
• Anna Maria Island Rod & Reel Pier
• Mead Point
• Longboat Pass Boat Ramp

In Sarasota County, red tide was detected at:

• Longboat Key Beach,
• Sail Dock
• New Pass Dock
• Marina Jack
• Bay Dock
• Ringling Causeway
• St. Armands Key
• North Lido Beach
• Lido Beach Casino
• South Lido Park
• Siesta Beach
• Turtle Beach
• Nokomis Beach
• North Jetty
• Venice Beach
• Service Club Park
• Venice Fishing Pier
• Brohard Beach
• Manasota Beach
• Blind Pass Beach

Bloom concentrations were also observed in three samples each in Sarasota and Charlotte counties. Multiple fish kills suspected to be related to red tide was reported in these counties, the FWC said.

Between April 19 and Friday, dozens of fish kills were reported in Charlotte County, according to data from the FWC.

In Sarasota County, fish kills were also reported in the following cities:

• Nokomis: North Jetty Beach and Curry Creek in Roberts Bay, and El Jobean Bridge
• Osprey: Shackett Creek and South Creek
• Englewood: Bayshore Live Park
• Venice: Serpentine Canal, South Creek and Venice Beach (south of the jetty)

The presence of red tide is also behind reports of respiratory irritation in Sarasota and Manatee counties, FWC said.

Karenia brevis produces brevetoxins that affect the central nervous system of fish and other vertebrates and can kill them, the FWC said. When waves break open the red tide organism's cells, it releases the toxins into the air, which can cause respiratory irritation, especially those with chronic respiratory conditions, like emphysema or asthma.

Snook, redfish and spotted seatrout catch-and-release only in areas affected by red tide through May 31. This includes all waters from Gordon Pass in Collier County north through Pasco County, the FWC said.

The FWC tracks and reports on red tide in the state of Florida weekly. The agency's red tide resource page can be found here.