Red tide renews its nasty grip on Anna Maria Island beaches

Signs of the persistent red tide bloom reappeared on Anna Maria Island this weekend after seeming to recede.

The red tide organism, Karenia brevis, has besieged local beaches for more than a month with its odor, fish carcasses and dark water. The algae bloom has also been thought by scientists to be what has killed turtles, dolphins, sharks and manatees in Florida’s waters.

Since early August, Manatee County crews have removed 289 tons of fish, according to Nick Azzara, information outreach manager for Manatee County.

This weekend, dead fish again washed up on Anna Maria Island shores.

In a Monday update to its beach conditions report, Mote Marine Laboratory reported heavy amounts of dead fish and intense respiratory irritation on Coquina Beach, with dark water, thick red drift and no crowds.

On Manatee Public Beach, Mote officials reported similar water and red drift conditions with some dead fish and moderate respiratory irritation for the few beachgoers who braved the conditions.

Manatee County officials reported light amounts of fish on Coquina and Cortez beaches. However, north of Cortez Beach up to Bean Point, there were moderate to heavy amounts of fish.

Bayfront Park and Coquina Bayside had light seaweed and Coquina Bayside, Coquina North and South boat ramps also saw some light amounts of fish Monday.

The water, county officials noted, is brown and the air quality was reported to causing coughing and other respiratory irritation .

From Bradenton Beach, the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce posted to its Facebook page Monday that there was water discoloration along the island.

Chamber president Terri Kinder said businesses on the island are still being affected by red tide.

“From a business perspective, it’s important to know that we’re open,” Kinder said of island businesses. “Some businesses take a vacation in September, but for the most part we’re fully operational.”

The chamber’s website features a list of Service Industry Relief Festivities, which are held at different area restaurants and offer discounts for those who attend. It’s part of an effort to bring customers out to restaurants despite red tide.

In a weekly update Friday, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported there was a lower percentage — between 5 and 25 percent — of samples with medium or high levels of red tide in Manatee County waters.

However, the report also noted Manatee County saw increased concentrations of the algae compared to the previous week.

Meanwhile, percentages increased for neighboring Sarasota and Pinellas counties.

The bloom now stretches along about 130 miles of Florida’s Gulf coast, and for the first time, a patch of the bloom was reported in Northwest Florida. The report noted “very low concentrations” in Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Pasco and Walton counties, background to medium concentrations near Bay County, and background concentrations in Gulf and Franklin counties.

This story was originally published September 17, 2018 at 2:33 PM.