Karinia Brevis is making it's way up from Lee county towards Venice beach:
http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/072506/tp6ew2.htm?date=072506&story=tp6ew2.htm
The scent of woe: Red tide on the key
ENGLEWOOD -- It's in the air at Blind Pass Beach and onshore at Boca Grande.
Red tide, the blooming saltwater algae that is annoying to humans and often lethal to marine life, is back with us.
A report from Blind Pass Beach on Manasota Key Monday morning said the irritating mist was in the air, burning eyes and causing mild coughing. According to the report, there were no dead fish along the shore.
Not so lucky for Boca Grande.
A scientist with Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota said Monday afternoon there were scores of dead fish on the Gulf side Gasparilla Island.
"Our team on the Gulf side of Boca Grande called this afternoon and said the place was covered with fish," said Gary Kirkpatrick, a Mote senior scientist.
"I think it's pretty well settled in the area."
Kirkpatrick said he was unaware of red tide extending to Englewood beaches. It has been reported in Lee and Collier counties for the past two weeks, and scientists assumed it would begin to move.
The Web site for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Monday the possibility of "patchy low impacts" in coastal northern Lee County -- the location of Gasparilla Island -- through tomorrow evening.
"Patchy low to moderate impacts" are possible in coastal southern Lee and northern Collier Counties through Tuesday evening, the Web site said. "Patchy moderate to high impacts" were forecast in the Pine Island Sound and San Carlos Bay regions through Thursday.
"We're aware that what has been developing down in the Sanibel area has been extending northward," Kirkpatrick said.
He added that Mote was not sure how far the red tide has extended into Charlotte Harbor.
"We've seen elevated levels just inside the (Boca Grande) pass, but the worst is on the Gulf side," he said.
Rich Dworkin of the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center in Punta Gorda said Monday he was not aware of any reports of red tide in the harbor.
It is commonplace for red tide to move through the Gulf.
Kirkpatrick said, "We're not certain if it's a drift or just coming onshore at these various places at these times, but it's common to do this at various areas."
The reasons for the red tide's movement in any particular area are complex, he said, with wind and water currents among the factors. That makes forecasting extremely difficult.
To check out the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's red tide forecast for Southwest Florida, go to www.csc.noaa.gov/crs/habf.
Red tide is a natural phenomenon -- Karinia brevis -- resulting from dense concentrations of microscopic, plant-like organisms called blooms.
It can cause watery eyes, coughing and itchy throats. Once exposure is done, symptoms disappear quickly.
While usually only irritating to people and animals, red tide in high concentration call kill large numbers of fish.
You can e-mail Steve Baumann at sbaumann@sun-herald.com.
By STEPHEN BAUMANN
Englewood Editor
http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/072506/tp6ew2.htm?date=072506&story=tp6ew2.htm
The scent of woe: Red tide on the key
ENGLEWOOD -- It's in the air at Blind Pass Beach and onshore at Boca Grande.
Red tide, the blooming saltwater algae that is annoying to humans and often lethal to marine life, is back with us.
A report from Blind Pass Beach on Manasota Key Monday morning said the irritating mist was in the air, burning eyes and causing mild coughing. According to the report, there were no dead fish along the shore.
Not so lucky for Boca Grande.
A scientist with Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota said Monday afternoon there were scores of dead fish on the Gulf side Gasparilla Island.
"Our team on the Gulf side of Boca Grande called this afternoon and said the place was covered with fish," said Gary Kirkpatrick, a Mote senior scientist.
"I think it's pretty well settled in the area."
Kirkpatrick said he was unaware of red tide extending to Englewood beaches. It has been reported in Lee and Collier counties for the past two weeks, and scientists assumed it would begin to move.
The Web site for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Monday the possibility of "patchy low impacts" in coastal northern Lee County -- the location of Gasparilla Island -- through tomorrow evening.
"Patchy low to moderate impacts" are possible in coastal southern Lee and northern Collier Counties through Tuesday evening, the Web site said. "Patchy moderate to high impacts" were forecast in the Pine Island Sound and San Carlos Bay regions through Thursday.
"We're aware that what has been developing down in the Sanibel area has been extending northward," Kirkpatrick said.
He added that Mote was not sure how far the red tide has extended into Charlotte Harbor.
"We've seen elevated levels just inside the (Boca Grande) pass, but the worst is on the Gulf side," he said.
Rich Dworkin of the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center in Punta Gorda said Monday he was not aware of any reports of red tide in the harbor.
It is commonplace for red tide to move through the Gulf.
Kirkpatrick said, "We're not certain if it's a drift or just coming onshore at these various places at these times, but it's common to do this at various areas."
The reasons for the red tide's movement in any particular area are complex, he said, with wind and water currents among the factors. That makes forecasting extremely difficult.
To check out the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's red tide forecast for Southwest Florida, go to www.csc.noaa.gov/crs/habf.
Red tide is a natural phenomenon -- Karinia brevis -- resulting from dense concentrations of microscopic, plant-like organisms called blooms.
It can cause watery eyes, coughing and itchy throats. Once exposure is done, symptoms disappear quickly.
While usually only irritating to people and animals, red tide in high concentration call kill large numbers of fish.
You can e-mail Steve Baumann at sbaumann@sun-herald.com.
By STEPHEN BAUMANN
Englewood Editor
