Red tide remains strong off Anna Maria Island

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s mid-week red tide update spells more bad news for Manatee County’s coastline.

Concentrations of Karenia brevis cells, the organism responsible for red tide, increased from southern Pinellas County to Collier County, a range that includes Manatee County.

Concentrations of more than 1 million K. brevis cells per liter were observed in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota waters. Some medium concentrations were also observed.

Samples were taken at at Bean Point in Anna Maria, Mead Point on Perico Bayou, near Cortez and Coquina beaches in Bradenton Beach and off of Holmes Beach.

More northern locations at Bean Point, Mead Point and off of Holmes Beach tested at medium levels—between 100,000 and 1 million cells per liter of water—while Coquina Beach and Cortez Beach on the sound end of Anna Maria Island tested above the 1 million mark.

This latest update shows a slight shift from last week, when medium and high concentrations were dispersed unevenly around Anna Maria Island.

A sample taken in the Gulf of Mexico off of Manatee County also measured at over 1 million cells per liter.

Fish kills and respiratory irritation were again reported from Manatee and surrounding counties this week.

The next update will be released on Friday.

Call 866-300-9399 anytime from anywhere in Florida to get the latest red tide status report by phone. Call 727-552-2448 from outside of Florida.

This story was originally published November 1, 2018 at 7:43 AM with the headline "Red tide remains strong off Anna Maria Island."