Low amounts of red tide algae still in AMI waters. Breathing irritation reported
Low levels of Karenia brevis, the algae species that causes red tide, were again found in Manatee County waters during the most recent round of sampling.
Respiratory irritation, a common side effect of a red tide bloom, was also reported on Anna Maria Island this week, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The agency reports that background and low concentrations of K. brevis were detected in nine Manatee County water samples. Complete details of the week’s water samples will be released on Friday, but current data show low concentrations were detected as far north as the Rod and Reel Pier at the northern tip of Anna Maria Island. Low levels were also recently observed at Mead Point and at Longboat Pass.
Red tide conditions are stronger farther south, where medium levels were observed in Sarasota County waters and high levels were observed in Charlotte County waters. K. brevis levels of medium or higher are considered “bloom concentrations.” Both counties also had reports of fish kills and respiratory irritation over the last week.
Red tide’s impact on beach conditions is typically patchy and can change rapidly. Mote Marine Laboratory’s live beach conditions tracker showed no reports of respiratory irritation or fish kills for Manatee and Sarasota counties on Wednesday afternoon.
Is Piney Point to blame?
Government agencies and environmental groups continue to closely monitor water quality in the Tampa Bay area following the discharge of millions of gallons of contaminated water from the Piney Point industrial site earlier this month. There is concern that elevated levels of nutrients in the discharged water could meet up with local concentrations of red tide organism and fuel a harmful algal bloom.
However, as of Tuesday, the Piney Point discharge was not suspected to be the direct cause of the red tide conditions in lower Tampa Bay, which appeared to have crept up from the south.
“However, elevated nutrients have the potential to exacerbate these algal blooms,” the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said in an update.
A circulation model produced by University of South Florida shows that some of the discharged water from Piney Point could already be mixing with the Manatee County waters that have concentrated levels of the red tide organism.