Is red tide finally gone from Manatee, Sarasota beaches? Here’s the latest FWC report

Jason Dill
·1 min read
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Looking to squeeze in a beach day before Saturday night’s De Soto Grand Parade?

While potential rain and thunderstorms could impact weekend beach activities, red tide should not be a factor. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released its latest red tide report on Friday.

And the recent sampling indicates red tide is no longer a major impact for Manatee County’s inshore waters. Of the 76 samples taken from Florida’s Gulf Coast, the organism causing red tide blooms, Karenia brevis, was found in two samples — one in Lee County and one in Collier County.

FWC reported 17 samples were taken in Manatee County between Monday and Wednesday. Only five were found at background levels at inshore locations, while the rest were negative.

Sarasota County saw a dip in red tide activity, too. Twenty-six positive samples were only at low or very low levels off Siesta Beach, Lido Key, New Pass Dock in Sarasota Bay and further south in Venice.

Fish kills and respiratory irritation in people were reported for Sarasota County.

FWC monitors red tide through satellite imagery and the latest daily sampling report can be found at https://myfwc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html or Mote Marine Laboratory’s Beach Conditions Reporting System at https://visitbeaches.org/map.

A red tide bloom that has lingered since fall has worsened in recent weeks, bringing more dead fish, murky waters and foul air to beaches on Anna Maria Island’s Bradenton Beach.
A red tide bloom that has lingered since fall has worsened in recent weeks, bringing more dead fish, murky waters and foul air to beaches on Anna Maria Island’s Bradenton Beach.