PINELLAS COUNTY - People venturing out to south county beaches might see a few dead fish, and those with respiratory problems could experience some irritation because of a red tide bloom that is starting to spread northward into south Pinellas waters.
Fort DeSoto Park ranger Tom Smith said problems with red tide started about a week or 10 days ago. He said southwest winds over the weekend had blown the organism into the beach, resulting in dead fish washing up.
"There were quite a few dead fish over the weekend," he said. "We ran the beach rake."
He said no one had reported any respiratory problems, but that rangers were telling people about the potential problems.
Red tide can make people sick, especially those with respiratory problems, as its toxin can spread in the wind like an aerosol. It is most noticeable when winds blow onshore. Red tide irritation can cause coughing, sneezing and watery eyes.
St. Pete Beach has yet to experience any problems because of red tide - certainly nothing of concern, according Connie Kest, administrative services assistant for St. Pete Beach's Public Works Department. She said it was a good Labor Day for the beach.
She said a couple of calls had come in about a few dead fish. She said some had reported a smell and cautioned people with respiratory ailments to be careful.
Rick Raus, assistant public works director at Treasure Island, said as of Tuesday morning that there had been no signs of red tide. Raus said the city's public works department is usually the first place people call when dead fish begin washing up on the beach.
"I haven't heard anything, and we've had no calls," he said. "It's been quiet. It was a good popular weekend."
Raus said with the latest reports from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, he expected to hear of problems coming in soon from Tierra Verde and then St. Pete Beach. So far, it looks like things are OK north of Fort Desoto, he said.
The FWRI reported on Sept. 1 that the highest concentrations of Karenia brevis the Florida red tide organism, were still south of Pinellas County in Manatee and northern Charlotte counties; however, recent water samples showed low concentrations of red tide at Fort DeSoto gulf pier with higher concentrations detected 1.5 miles offshore.
Samples collected 6 to 12 miles offshore between Johns Pass and Longboat Pass, in Manatee County, contained medium to high concentrations at sites west of Bunces Pass, Egmont Key and Longboat Pass. Water samples collected at the Skyway pier also confirmed the presence of red tide in low concentrations. High concentrations have been confirmed in samples taken near the mouth of Tampa Bay.
No red tide has been detected in water samples taken from Honeymoon Island, Dunedin Causeway, Clearwater pier or the Redington Pier.
The FWRI said an extensive bloom of the marine cyanobacteria Trichodesmium remains in coastal waters between southern Pinellas and Lee counties, along with the K. brevis bloom. Trichodesmium can collect at the water surface and appear brown, green or white. Although non-toxic, at high concentrations this bloom may be mistaken for an oil or sewage spill.
At this time last year, conditions were much worse with red tide affecting all county beaches. The bloom, one of the worst reported since 1971, lasted from January to November and was responsible for massive fish kills, as well as the deaths of sea turtles and other marine animals. Red tide also was blamed for depleting the oxygen levels on the bottom of the ocean off Pinellas County beaches in July 2005, resulting in "mass mortalities" of marine life.
What is red tide
Florida red tide is a higher-than-normal concentration of a microscopic plant-like organism. According to the FWRI, In Florida, the species that causes most red tides is Karenia brevis. This organism produces a toxin that can affect the central nervous system of fish. At high concentrations (called a bloom), the organisms may discolor the water. However, red tides are not always red. They can appear greenish, brownish, and even purple in color. The water can even remain its normal color during a bloom.
Red tides have occurred along Florida's gulf coast since the 1840s and probably occurred much earlier. Fish kills around Tampa Bay were mentioned in the logs of Spanish explorers.
Karenia brevis produces toxins, called brevetoxins, that can kill fish, birds and other marine animals. Bottom-dwellers such as groupers and grunts are usually the first fish to die in a Florida red tide. Other marine animals, birds, dolphins, and others, can be sickened by eating fish, shellfish plants or other food sources infected by the red tide organism.
A common complaint also is the smell, attributed to the smell of the bloom itself and dead fish. The FWRI advises people with severe or chronic respiratory conditions (such as emphysema or asthma) to avoid red tide areas.
For information about red tide conditions, call the Red Tide Status Line at 866-300-9399 (toll-free inside Florida only) or 727-552-2448 (outside Florida). Callers will hear a recorded message about current red tide conditions around the state. The recording is updated each Friday by 5 p.m. Additional information can be found by visiting the FWRI Web site at www.research.myfwc.com.
