Red tide health warning issued for all 16 Sarasota public beaches, including Siesta Key
Red tide is present at all 16 of Sarasota County’s public beaches, health officials announced Thursday afternoon.
The algae was detected at background to high levels up and down Sarasota County’s coast line this week.
Signs posted at beach access points warn of the dangers of the harmful algal bloom.
“Some people may have mild and short-lived respiratory symptoms such as eye, nose, and throat irritation like those associated with the common cold or seasonal sinus allergies,” the Florida Department of Health in Sarasota said in its alert. “Some individuals with existing breathing problems, such as asthma, might experience more severe effects.”
Symptoms usually go away once a person leaves the affected area or goes into an air-conditioned space, health officials say.
Red tides typically occur along Florida’s Gulf Coast in the late summer or fall. The organism that causes red tide, Karenia brevis, showed up at elevated levels in Southwest Florida waters in October. It has since gained strength and spread around the region.
This week, bloom levels of the algae were found near beaches at both ends of Anna Maria Island in Manatee County and in waters southward down to Lee County.
Red tide algae is naturally present in the Gulf of Mexico, where it is usually found miles offshore. But wind and currents can bring red tide near the coast, where it fouls beach conditions and kills marine life. Once near land, it can potentially get stronger with help from human-based nutrient pollution.
Impacted Sarasota County beaches include:
- Longboat Key
- Bird Key Park/Ringling Causeway
- North Lido
- Lido Casino
- South Lido
- Siesta Key
- Turtle Beach
- Nokomis Beach
- North Jetty
- Venice Beach
- Service Club
- Venice Fishing Pier
- Brohard Beach
- Caspersen Beach
- Manasota Key
- Blind Pass
FDOH-Manatee County issued red tide warnings for Bayfront Park, Rod and Reel Pier, Coquina Beach South and Longboat Pass/Coquina Boat Ramp on Wednesday.
And the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted high levels of respiratory irritation are possible over the next 36 hours at some beaches in Manatee, Sarasota and Lee counties.
FDOH-Sarasota offers the following red tide safety tips:
- Do not swim around dead fish.
- If you have chronic respiratory problems, consider staying away from the beach as red tide can affect your breathing.
- Do not harvest or eat molluscan shellfish and distressed or dead fish. If fish are healthy, rinse fillets with tap or bottled water and throw out the guts.
- Keep pets and livestock away from water, sea foam, and dead sea life.
- Residents living in beach areas who experience respiratory symptoms are advised to close windows and run the air conditioner (ensuring that the A/C filter is maintained according to the manufacturer’s specifications).
- If outdoors, residents may choose to wear paper filter masks, especially if onshore winds are blowing.
- Florida Poison Control Centers have a toll-free 24/7 Hotline for reporting illnesses, including health effects from exposure to red tide at 1-888-222-1222.