As Red Tide Spreads North, Marine Life Death Toll Rises

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL -- After witnessing the devastation reeked on beaches in Sarasota and Manatee counties over the past two months, Pinellas County had hoped to avoid the scourge of red tide.
But Mother Nature had other ideas.

As the toxic algae bloom dissipates along Sarasota and Manatee beaches, Pinellas County beaches are reporting more dead fish washing up, foul odors and respiratory irritation -- the hallmarks of red tide.
So far, reported Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, it’s been a hit-or-miss scenario for the county’s 35 miles of beachfront property.

Some popular beaches are experiencing impacts from red tide while others seem to have escaped the affects.

As local governments attempt to stay ahead of the dead fish littering the beaches, they are assuring tourists that Pinellas County is still open for business.

In the hopes of enticing visitors, entry fees have been waived at Fort DeSoto Park while red tide lingers.
Both the bay side and the Gulf side of the park have slightly discolored water and a slight odor. However, there are no swimming restrictions in place.

That’s also the case for Clearwater Beach, Sand Key, Belleair Beach, Belleair Shores, Indian Shores and Indian Rocks Beach.

A strong odor has been reported at Honeymoon Island State Park, Caladesi Island State Park and St. Pete Beach.

Most affected are Madeira Beach and North Redington Beach where the red tide-impacted water has turned dark and there is a strong odor.

Red tide can cause respiratory problems in people and kill marine life. At higher concentrations, it can also cause skin irritation and burning eyes.

However, unless posted otherwise, swimming is safe for most people.

Since it’s not possible for the county’s contractors to remove all of the dead fish from public beaches, the Intracoastal, open waters and canals, the county is asking residents to help. If residents see a significant fish kill, they should report it to the county and include photos if possible. For more details, click here.

By the same token, any resident who sees a dead, sick or injured manatee, dolphin, whale or sea turtle is asked to call the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.

Since July 1, the Stranding Investigations Program at Mote Marine Institute & Aquarium in Sarasota has responded to calls about 17 deceased bottlenose dolphins and 181 stranded sea turtles (9 alive and 172 dead), while helping the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to recover sick and dead manatees.

The high number of dolphin deaths likely related to red tide prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to declare an "unusual mortality event" in August.

Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, an unusual mortality event (UME) is defined as “a stranding that is unexpected; involves a significant die-off of any marine mammal population; and demands immediate response.”

So far, samples from 10 of Mote’s recovered dolphins have been tested for Florida red tide neurotoxins, and all were positive. Samples from the remaining dolphins are pending analysis.

Despite round-the-clock efforts to save two rare pygmy killer whales found stranded off Clearwater Beach and a melon-headed whale found off Longboat Key Beach, all three have died. Mote is having samples from all three whales tested to determine if red tide played a role in their deaths (see related story)

“Our team and numerous partners have been working hard, at nearly all hours, to recover dolphins and other marine animals affected by the Florida red tide bloom, which has multiplied the number of calls we receive from members of the public seeking immediate response,” said Gretchen Lovewell, manager of Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program. “At the same time, we and our partners are striving to learn as much as we can, as fast as we can, from each animal we recover."

The FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg is taking the lead on recovering sick and dead manatees. As of Sept. 7 the institute recovered 47 dead manatees that tested positive for red tide. Red tide is the suspected cause in an additional 93 manatee deaths.

This represents a major increase from last year when 52 manatee deaths were attributed to red tide and red tide was suspected in another 15 manatee deaths.

Indications of manatees impacted by red tide include uncontrolled buoyancy, lethargic swimming, consistent, uncontrollable facial twitches and arching of their head and tail out of the water simultaneously.

On Sept. 2, the FWC marine mammal rescue team and staff from Mote responded to a citizen report of a lethargic, red tide-distressed manatee in Venice. The manatee was stabilized before being transported to SeaWorld Orlando for rehabilitation (see video courtesy FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute ).

Image via Mote Marine