The Florida Department of Health in Lee County lifted nearly a dozen health alerts issued from December to February, giving the all-clear to 20 beaches from Boca Grande Pass to Fort Myers Beach south to Bonita Beach that had been affected by the stench in the air or the dead fish on the beach indicative of a red tide bloom.
Just more than a month ago, a red tide bloom that started near Tampa Bay shortly after Hurricane Milton in October had stretched out for more than 200 miles from Tampa Bay to Key West and had moved ashore along much of Southwest Florida’s coast.
The concentration of the organism that causes red tide, Karenia brevis, was readily apparent in waters where the bloom was strongest, giving the deep-blue ocean waters a rusty orange-colored surface.
Winds, and the tide, pushed the bloom ashore in many places along Southwest Florida’s coast. Dead animals – fish, eels, even a few sea turtles – littered some, but not all, beaches from Sarasota to Key West. County health departments advised people to stay away from dozens of beaches in Southwest Florida.
Then, poof. Gone.
It appears the worst of what could have been a far more devastating red tide bloom has moved on.
The Charlotte County Department of Health has yet to lift red tide advisories for Punta Gorda Beach, Little Gasparilla Island, and Gasparilla Sound.
Collier County health officials previously lifted a health alert due to red tide near Marco Island after sampling done a month later by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission found the water clear, indicating people can swim again without worry.
But Collier County officials have yet to lift other alerts, including those for Barefoot Beach State Preserve, Vanderbilt Beach, Clam Pass, Barefoot Beach, Wiggins Pass, Naples Pier, and Seagate.
“It is important that the public continue to exercise caution as red tide status can change when conditions are favorable,” Collier County officials said on the health department’s website. “If you experience respiratory or eye irritation, consider leaving the area or seeking relief in an air-conditioned space.”
Satellite views are still showing some areas offshore dealing with a lack of oxygen, a sign of continuing red tide in places far from shore.
Environmental reporting for WGCU is funded in part by VoLo Foundation, a non-profit with a mission to accelerate change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education, and improving health.
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