WATER QUALITY REPORT FOR JAN. 10, 2025
Harmful algae blooms in Southwest Florida tend to have a life cycle based on bad news followed by good news followed by bad news, then rinse and repeat.
Need proof?
Bad news: Over the past week, the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was detected in 86 samples collected inshore on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Good news: Nearly three-fourths of those samples did not contain a high enough concentration of Karenia brevis to be of concern in terms of a full-blown bloom.
Bad news: All 22 samples that did contain concentrations of the red tide organism high enough to lead to a bloom are in waters off of Southwest Florida counties: Thirteen in Sarasota. Four in Collier. Three in Charlotte. One each in Manatee and Lee counties.
Researchers from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission wrote in their weekly report that they’re using an environmental satellite to track patches of chlorophyll -- one is about 15 miles offshore of Collier County – that suggest high concentrations of algae.
“It is likely that K. brevis and/or other species are contributing to these offshore patches, but we cannot say definitively at this point.”
It's January, which is red tide's time of year, so while the researchers are being careful, they know they are correct.
Still not convinced?
Bad News: Dead fish suspected to be related to red tide are washing up on Southwest Florida beaches from Sarasota south to Collier counties. The acrid odor of any airborne red tide combined with the smell of rotting fish is causing respiratory irritation along the same beaches.
Good News: Red tide is not being observed in any of its stages along Florida’s East Coast.
Bad News: The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife on Sanibel Island admitted five birds with red tide toxicosis last month, the most recent data available. All five animals died.
Satellite imagery of Lake Okeechobee shows sparsely scattered blue-green algae along the northern and southern shores with little chance of developing into a major bloom.
Images of the Caloosahatchee River were obscured by cloud cover, although some sparsely scattered blue-green algae were seen throughout the estuary.
The blue-green algae shouldn't really be around in such relative abundance in January, as it thrives in waters heated by the warmest sun of the year during the summer and fall.
The FDEP says it is important to remember the blue-green algae potential is subject to rapidly changing environmental conditions or satellite inconsistencies.
What is red tide?
Red tide is one type of harmful algal bloom caused by high concentrations of the toxic dinoflagellate K. brevis, which is a type of microscopic algae found in the Gulf of Mexico.
Red tide typically forms naturally offshore, commonly in late summer or early fall, and is carried into coastal waters by winds and currents. Once inshore, these opportunistic organisms can use nearshore nutrient sources to fuel their growth.
Blooms typically last into winter or spring, but in some cases, can endure for more than one year.
Is red tide harmful?
K. brevis produces potent neurotoxins that can be harmful to the health of both wildlife and people. Wind and wave action can break open K. brevis cells and release toxins into the air. This is why you should monitor conditions and stay away from beaches where red tide is in bloom.
People in coastal areas can experience varying degrees of eye, nose, and throat irritation during a red tide bloom. Some individuals with chronic respiratory conditions like asthma or chronic lung disease might experience more severe symptoms.
Red tide toxins can also affect the central nervous system of fish and other marine life, which can lead to fish kills.
What causes red tide?
A red tide bloom develops naturally, but recent studies have discovered mankind's infusion of other nutrients into the mix can make the red tide last longer or get stronger. But biology (the organisms), chemistry (natural or man-made nutrients for growth) and physics (concentrating and transport mechanisms) interact to produce the algal bloom. No one factor causes the development of a red tide bloom.
What is blue-green algae?
Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, are a group of organisms that can live in freshwater, saltwater or brackish water.
Large concentrations, called blooms, can change the water color to blue, green, brown, orange or red. Some cyanobacterial blooms can look like foam, scum, or mats on the surface of freshwater lakes and ponds. As algae in a cyanobacterial bloom die, the water may smell like something with a naturally unpleasant odor has now started to rot, too.
Is blue-green algae harmful?
Different types of blue-green algal bloom species can look different and have different impacts. However, regardless of species, many types of blue-green algae can produce toxins that can make you or your pets sick if swallowed or possibly cause skin and eye irritation.
The FDEP advises staying out of water where algae is visibly present as specks or mats or where water is discolored. Pets or livestock should not come into contact with algal bloom-impacted water or with algal bloom material or fish on the shoreline. If they do, wash the animals right away.
What causes blue-green algae?
Blue-green algae blooms occur when the algae that are typically present grow in numbers more than normal. Within a few days, a bloom can cause clear water to become cloudy.
Winds tend to push the floating blooms to the shore where they become more noticeable. Cyanobacterial blooms can form in warm, slow-moving waters that are rich in nutrients. Blooms can occur at any time, but most often occur in late summer or early fall.
If any major type of water quality alert is issued, you can find the details here in WGCU’s Water Quality Report.
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