Swimmers beware: Red tide is back in Florida

High alga concentration found in Collier County

In this Aug. 6, 2018, file photo, a dead Snook lies dead due to red tide in Bradenton Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)

ORLANDO, Fla. – Red tide is being reported in Florida for the first time since the devastating bloom that began in 2017 ended this past winter.

Data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shows that Karenia brevis, the microscopic alga that causes red tide, was found in high concentrations off the coast of Collier County. Fish kills and respiratory irritation have also been reported in the area.

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Between Sept. 26 and Friday, the alga was also found in low and medium levels in Lee County, which is also in Southwest Florida.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's harmful algal bloom forecast, Lee and Collier counties could see low-to-moderate levels of K. brevis through Thursday.

Other counties along Florida's Gulf Coast are not predicted to experience red tide. The East Coast has not seen any red tide either.

It was around this time in 2017 when red tide was first reported in Lee and Collier counties. Though the levels waned at times, the state wasn't completely free of red tide until this March.

During that bloom, more than 2,000 tons of marine life were killed.


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