Red tide has reached Anna Maria Island. High algae levels detected near Bradenton Beach

A water sample on Monday showed a high level of Karenia brevis, the organism that causes red tide, in waters off of Anna Maria Island, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.

The sample was collected in intracoastal waters near Longboat Pass at the southern end of Bradenton Beach and contained more than 1 million cells of K. brevis per liter, which is considered a “high” concentration of the toxic algae.

At high levels, red tide can be expected to cause fish kills, respiratory irritation and water discoloration, according to FWC.

Slight respiratory irritation and dead fish in the water and sand were present at Coquina Beach on Monday, according to Mote Marine Laboratory’s live beach conditions tracker, which is updated by lifeguards. Those conditions were not reported farther north at beaches in Holmes Beach or Anna Maria, however.

The algae was also detected at “very low” levels in two samples near Anna Maria at the north end of the island and in one sample in Palma Sola Bay on Monday.

The algae has persisted at significant levels to the south and north of Anna Maria Island in recent weeks, but the area had so far largely avoided the blooms.

High levels of red tide also showed up on Monday in samples taken at Longboat Key Beach, Lido Beach, Siesta Key and Turtle Beach, and “medium” levels were taken at numerous spots offshore of Venice.

To the north, red tide persists at high levels throughout Tampa Bay around Manatee, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, according to recent samples.

The FWC is expected to issue its next red tide status update with more sampling data on Wednesday.

This story was originally published July 13, 2021 at 4:49 PM.