Southwest Florida beach water quality map: See test results for your favorite beach
Red tide is blooming in some of our Southwest Florida beaches.
According to a Herald-Tribune report, red tide reached bloom levels last week in an area that stretched offshore from south Sarasota County, past the mouth of Charlotte Harbor, all the way down to Sanibel Island.
In the past, red tide and blue-green algae blooms have followed hurricanes because huge slugs of polluted water tend to fertilize blooms that feed off the influx of nutrients, according to a report from The News-Press.
Database: See beach water quality results in Sarasota
Hurricane Ian devastated Southwest Florida after making landfall on Sept. 28. More than 60 people have died due to the storm.
Beach water quality results can be found at data.heraldtribune.com/beach-water-quality, which shows the latest enteric bacteria ratings.
Here are beach water quality results from other areas in Southwest Florida:
What is enteric bacteria?
Enteric bacteria that inhabits the intestinal tract of people and animals is an indication of fecal pollution. It may come from stormwater runoff, pets, wildlife and human sewage. Symptoms include upset stomach, diarrhea, eye irritation and skin rashes.
Other Florida water databases
Is the water safe to swim or fish near me? This data map shows how clean the water is before you go swimming or fishing near Sarasota, Lee, Collier and other surrounding areas.
Florida algal bloom map: Sarasota's data map (Lee, Collier) shows results from the last 90 days. Blue-green algae are types of bacteria called cyanobacteria. They can be blue, bright green, brown or red, and can have a strong odor similar to rotting plants, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Oscar Santiago Torres is a digital producer for the USA TODAY Network - Florida. Follow him on Twitter at @osantiagotorres.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Red tide Florida 2022: Beach water quality map for Sarasota
