MANATEE COUNTY – A blue-green algae outbreak reported last week at Lake Manatee, the county’s primary drinking water reservoir, has prompted a local water quality watchdog group to question Manatee County’s claim that the water is safe, despite discoloration and an unusual odor.
In a July 19 press release, Suncoast Waterkeeper members noted that the blue-green algae, known as Anabaena or Microcystin-LR, is a cyanotoxin that may be safe from a regulatory standpoint, but not necessarily from a health standpoint.
Water straight from a faucet in Manatee County shows water that county officials say is “safe” for consumption. Large particles of unknown material came out of the faucet along with the water. – Kristin Swain | Sun
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, elevated levels of cyanotoxins, including Anabaena, can cause health issues in humans ranging from a rash to liver and kidney damage if ingested. The most common health effects in humans include abdominal pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting, nausea, dry cough, diarrhea, blistering around the mouth and pneumonia. Continually ingesting drinking water contaminated with elevated levels of the bacteria can lead to liver and kidney damage. Anyone experiencing any of the symptoms after coming into contact with the toxin should seek medical treatment immediately and rinse off with clean water.
The EPA also warns that pets, livestock and other animals also can be adversely affected by coming into contact with contaminated water. Symptoms of cyanotoxin poisoning in animals include excessive salivating, fatigue, difficulty breathing, vomiting, diarrhea and seizures. In some severe cases, exposure can also lead to death.
In the water where the blue-green algae bloom occurs, plant and animal life may also die both during and after the bloom, resulting in fish kills in the county’s primary water supply.
County leaders say they’re treating the water with activated carbon and that anyone who is concerned about the smell or taste of the water should use a carbon filter at home.
To learn more about Anabaena and how it can affect your health, visit www.epa.gov/cyanohabs.
Nutrients and warming temperatures are feeding a bloom of blue-green algae called Lyngbya in area waters, according to scientists with Manatee County.
As has been the case over the last two years, Lyngbya is accumulating in the waters of Robinson Preserve and in the Intracoastal Waterway, Sarasota Bay and Tampa Bay, according to a report by county environmental scientists distributed to county commissioners by Acting County Administrator Scott Hopes last week.
Excessive Lyngbya, a cyanobacterium, is common locally when warm temperatures combine with nutrient-rich waters to form mats, according to the report.
The nutrients phosphorus and nitrogen were contained in the 215 million gallons of polluted water released into Tampa Bay at Port Manatee last month from one of the closed Piney Point phosphate plant’s gyp stack retention ponds. An accidental leak detected on March 26 led to the intentional discharge that ended April 9 and kept the stack from collapsing.
Contact with Lyngbya can result in itching, burning, pain, rash, blisters and cell death, resulting in loss of superficial layers of the skin, according to the report. Airborne toxins from the algae can cause eye and respiratory irritation.
Excessive growth of lyngbya can result in damage to seagrass beds and oyster bars, foul odors, oxygen depletion in the water and fish kills. It also can cause harmful algal blooms such as red tide, also associated with detrimental human health effects. Low levels of red tide were reported last week in Manatee County by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The mats are formed when naturally-occurring Lyngbya on the bay bottom is exposed to increased temperatures, sunlight and nutrients, causing rapid growth, according to the report. Longer days and clear water conditions cause Lyngbya to rapidly produce oxygen, causing bubbles to form and become embedded in its filaments, which makes the algae float to the surface to be carried by tides and winds, sometimes forming mats. Accumulations often increase along shorelines, like Robinson Preserve.
“It is not feasible to remove the extraordinary biomass of Lyngbya during these bloom events on a bay-wide scale,” the report states. “The scale at which removal would have to occur in such a large and open system is not likely feasible and cost prohibitive.”
No cyanotoxins – the neurotoxins produced by blue-green algae – were detected in water samples taken in Tampa Bay on May 4 in response to last month’s Piney Point discharge, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Results taken from samples on May 6 are pending.
Exposure to cyanotoxins can cause hay fever-like symptoms, skin rashes, respiratory and gastrointestinal distress, and, if consumed, liver and kidney damage, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
BRADENTON – The Florida Department of Health plans to post caution signs at the boat ramp on the Braden River at State Road 64 warning people, “Blue-green algae may be in these waters. There may be toxins.”
While toxins were not detected in water samples taken in the area by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection on Tuesday, July 2, the signs are necessary “to help educate folks utilizing the county facilities of the current algae bloom and steps they can take to assure they are not impacted from this event,” Tom Larkin, environmental manager for the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County, wrote Charlie Hunsicker, head of the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department in an email today.
The signs advise people to avoid swimming and eating shellfish from the area, to keep water out of their eyes, nose and mouth, and to keep pets away from the water, Hunsicker said, noting the irony that the tests show no toxins.
“We are dealing with causes that are stressful and sometimes fatal to fish. But it should not deter anyone from enjoying Robinson Preserve or any preserve, because toxins have not been detected.” – Charlie Hunsicker, Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department
Fish stressed
Fish were gasping for air in the mouth of the Manatee River today like koi in a pond, but not because of blue-green algae, he said, attributing the behavior to low dissolved oxygen in the water caused by high water temperatures and sunlight.
The county took six water samples around Robinson and Perico preserves for testing but the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute will not have results for at least a week, he said.
“In general, it looks like fish were stressed and dying within the preserves and more severely in upper reaches like the boat ramp and tidal nodes, near the fishing pier,” wrote Damon Moore, the division manager of the Ecological and Marine Resources division of the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department in an email to Hunsicker today.
Dead and dying fish at the Robinson Preserve kayak launch today. – Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department | Submitted
Algae caused a fish kill in the Lower Manatee River, Perico Bayou and Perico Preserve last month, according to the Manatee County Environmental Protection Department. Booms were deployed to help keep algae mats out of the preserve.
“We are dealing with causes that are stressful and sometimes fatal to fish,” Hunsicker said. “But it should not deter anyone from enjoying Robinson Preserve or any preserve, because toxins have not been detected.”
Swimming and wade fishing are not allowed in county preserves, Hunsicker reminds visitors.
Today’s reports
Three of nine samples taken statewide the first week of July showed non-toxic algae blooms, according to the Friday, July 5 Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) report, including the July 2 sample in the Braden River and another showing “mixed algae” in Perico Bayou.
“The Manatee River conditions have improved with no new reports. DEP staff report that conditions look much better except in the Bradenton area,” according to the report.
No samples were taken in waters off Anna Maria Island this week. DEP’s jurisdiction is primarily freshwater, Hunsicker said, so the agency is concentrating on local rivers.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has jurisdiction over saltwater, he said. Red tide was not present in water samples taken in Manatee County last week by the FWC, according to its Friday, July 5 report.
Blue-green algae called Filamentous cyanobacteria (Lyngbya-like) was first detected on May 9 in Anna Maria Sound at Key Royale, in the Intracoastal Waterway south of Grassy Point, and in Palma Sola Bay near San Remo Shores.
The algae found in Manatee County waters are not the same species that has plagued Lake Okeechobee, the toxic Microcystis aeruginosa, according to DEP.
Blue-green algae can be blue, green, brown or red and emit a foul, rotten egg odor caused by the production of hydrogen sulfide gas, according to DEP, which advises staying out of water where algae are visible as specks, mats or water is discolored pea-green, blue-green or brownish-red. Additionally, pets or livestock should not come into contact with the algal bloom-impacted water, or the algal bloom material or fish on the shoreline.
Even non-toxic blooms can harm the environment by depleting oxygen levels in the water column and reducing the amount of light that reaches submerged plants, according to DEP.
The growth of blue-green algae typically increases in the spring and summer months when water temperatures and daylight hours increase.
To help keep algae growth at bay, Florida law bans the use of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers during the rainy season, June 1 through Sept. 30.
Report algae blooms to DEP at 855-305-3903. Report fish kills to FWC at 800-636-0511.
BRADENTON – Blue-green algae persists in Robinson and Perico Preserves, and has caused its first fish kill.
“Blue-green algae and brown algae have become pervasive in the Lower Manatee River, Perico Bayou and Perico Preserve, resulting in a modest fish kill, primarily mullet, as a result of heavy algae bloom concentrations,” according to the latest report from the Manatee County Environmental Protection Department.
Manatee County crews skimmed and contained floating blue-green algae mats near Robinson Preserve’s waterway connection to the Manatee River and directed it back into the river on an outgoing tide, according to a recent email update to county commissioners from Charlie Hunsicker, director of the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources department.
From left, Will Robinson, for whose family Robinson Preserve is named, Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore and Congressional Rep. Vern Buchanan were among several officials at Robinson Preserve on Monday to see the algae bloom up close. Carol Whitmore | Submitted
“A floating turbidity boom, normally set in place to protect surface waters from turbidity and sedimentation, was deployed under the footbridge at that tidal connection to keep additional floating algae mats from coming back into the preserve on the incoming tides. This will not prevent all algae mats from entering the preserves from other Manatee River or Perico Bayou connection points, however, this will reduce the algae coverage in what the media has photographed to be the worst places where algae build-up has occurred,” according to Hunsicker.
“These efforts will have a positive effect on reducing the build-up of additional algae in the preserve and reduce, but not prevent, the accumulation of additional marine detritus which will continue to degrade at the bottom of many of Robinson’s internal waterways linked by tides to the outside bays and Manatee River,” according to Hunsicker.
Non-toxic algae blooms were detected in 18 water samples along the Manatee River in June, according to a Friday, June 28 Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) report.
Parts of the river, and Robinson Preserve, which borders it to the south, are “experiencing a large bloom of the cyanobacteria species Aphanizomenon flos-aquae,” which so far has tested non-toxic, according to the report. No samples were taken off Anna Maria Island this week.
Red tide did not show up in any water samples in Manatee County last week, according to the Friday, June 28 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) report.
Filamentous cyanobacteria (Lyngbya-like) was first detected in Holmes Beach waters on Thursday, May 9 in Anna Maria Sound at Key Royale and in the Intracoastal Waterway south of Grassy Point, and in Palma Sola Bay near San Remo Shores.
The algae found in Manatee County waters are not the same species that has plagued Lake Okeechobee, the toxic Microcystis aeruginosa, according to DEP.
Blue-green algae can be blue, green, brown or red and emit a foul, rotten egg odor caused by the production of hydrogen sulfide gas, according to DEP, which advises staying out of water where algae are visible as specks, mats or water is discolored pea-green, blue-green or brownish-red. Additionally, pets or livestock should not come into contact with the algal bloom-impacted water, or the algal bloom material or fish on the shoreline.
Even non-toxic blooms can harm the environment by depleting oxygen levels in the water column and reducing the amount of light that reaches submerged plants, according to DEP.
The growth of blue-green algae typically increases in the spring and summer months when water temperatures and daylight hours increase.
To help keep algae growth at bay, Florida law bans the use of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers during the rainy season, June 1 through Sept. 30.
Report algae blooms to DEP at 855-305-3903. Report fish kills to FWC at 800-636-0511.
BRADENTON – Non-toxic algae blooms have been detected in the Manatee River this week, according to today’s report from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Algae appeared in two water samples collected along the river near Bradenton and Ellenton; at River Pointe Canal on June 18, non-toxic Aphanizomenon flos-aquae was identified, and at Ellenton on June 19, non-toxic Cuspidothrix was identified.
Results from several other samples are pending. No samples were taken off Anna Maria Island this week.
Filamentous cyanobacteria (Lyngbya-like) was first detected in Holmes Beach waters on Thursday, May 9 in Anna Maria Sound at Key Royale and in the Intracoastal Waterway south of Grassy Point, and in Palma Sola Bay near San Remo Shores.
The algae species found in Manatee County waters are not the same species that has plagued Lake Okeechobee, the toxic Microcystis aeruginosa, according to DEP.
Blue-green algae can be blue, green, brown or red and emit a foul, rotten egg odor caused by the production of hydrogen sulfide gas, according to DEP, which advises staying out of water where algae is visible as specks, mats or water is discolored pea-green, blue-green or brownish-red. Additionally, pets or livestock should not come into contact with the algal bloom-impacted water, or the algal bloom material or fish on the shoreline.
Even non-toxic blooms can harm the environment by depleting oxygen levels in the water column and reducing the amount of light that reaches submerged plants, according to DEP.
The growth of blue-green algae typically increases in the spring and summer months when water temperatures and daylight hours increase.
Red tide report
No red tide is forecast in Manatee County waters through at least Monday, June 24, and none was detected in water samples earlier this week, according to today’s Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) report.
Background concentrations were detected in one water sample in Sarasota County. Background concentrations of the algae that causes Florida red tide, Karenia brevis, have no discernable effects on people or marine life, according to the FWC. However, in very low concentrations and above, red tide cells emit a neurotoxin when they bloom that can cause shellfish closures and respiratory irritation in people, especially those with asthma, COPD or emphysema. In low concentrations and above, red tide can be deadly to marine life.
No fish kills were reported this week.
Scientists say that salinity, currents, temperature and light play a part in the formation of red tide blooms, as do nutrients from Florida’s natural phosphate and limestone deposits, Caribbean seawater brought to Florida’s west coast on the Loop Current, the Mississippi River, Saharan dust blown across the Atlantic Ocean to Florida’s waters, and fertilizer and animal waste runoff.
To help keep algae growth at bay, Florida law bans the use of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers during the rainy season, June 1 through Sept. 30.
Report algae blooms to DEP at 855-305-3903 or online. Report fish kills to FWC at 800-636-0511.
BRADENTON – Non-toxic blue-green algae is present at Robinson Preserve, according to today’s report from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Filamentous cyanobacteria (Lyngbya-like) was found on Monday, June 10, according to the report.
Non-toxic blue-green algae is present at Robinson Preserve, according to DEP. – Florida Department of Environmental Protection | Submitted
The same type of blue-green algae was first found locally in Holmes Beach waters on Thursday, May 9 in Anna Maria Sound at Key Royale and in the Intracoastal Waterway south of Grassy Point, and in Palma Sola Bay near San Remo Shores.
No toxins have been detected in any of the blue-green algae samples collected in Manatee County through Friday, June 14, according to DEP.
The two algae species found in Manatee County waters are not the same species that has plagued Lake Okeechobee, microcystis aeruginosa, according to DEP.
Of eight sites tested statewide from June 7-13 by DEP, one – in Hillsborough County – was positive for toxins.
Blue-green algae can be blue, green, brown or red and emit a foul, rotten egg odor caused by the production of hydrogen sulfide gas, according to DEP, which advises staying out of water where algae is visible as specks, mats or water is discolored pea-green, blue-green or brownish-red. Additionally, pets or livestock should not come into contact with the algal bloom-impacted water, or the algal bloom material or fish on the shoreline.
Even non-toxic blooms can harm the environment by depleting oxygen levels in the water column and reducing the amount of light that reaches submerged plants, according to DEP.
The growth of blue-green algae typically increases in the spring and summer months when water temperatures and daylight hours increase.
Red tide report
No significant red tide is forecast in Manatee County waters through Monday, June 17, according to today’s Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) report.
Background concentrations of red tide were found in water samples off Mead Point at Robinson Preserve in Bradenton on Tuesday, June 11, according to the report.
Background concentrations of the algae that causes Florida red tide, Karenia brevis, have no discernable effects on people or marine life, according to the FWC. However, in very low concentrations and above, red tide cells emit a neurotoxin when they bloom that can cause shellfish closures and respiratory irritation in people, especially those with asthma, COPD or emphysema. In low concentrations and above, red tide can be deadly to marine life.
No fish kills were reported this week.
Scientists say that salinity, currents, temperature and light play a part in the formation of red tide blooms, as do nutrients from Florida’s natural phosphate and limestone deposits, Caribbean seawater brought to Florida’s west coast on the Loop Current, the Mississippi River, Saharan dust blown across the Atlantic Ocean to Florida’s waters, and fertilizer and animal waste runoff.
To help keep algae growth at bay, Florida law bans the use of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers during the rainy season, June 1 through Sept. 30.
Report algae blooms to DEP at 855-305-3903 or online. Report fish kills to FWC at 800-636-0511.
It’s not with any pleasure that I sit down and write an outdoors column on water quality issues and red tide at one of my favorite times of the year. I’d rather be spending this time talking about tarpon, snook, redfish, trout and the plethora of other fish that swim area waters. Unfortunately, there’s an elephant in the bay.
Although area waters are clear again and the red tide is currently absent, we don’t seem to have made any significant progress in addressing the problems that plagued us last year and pose a threat into the future. It’s hard to fathom that after last year’s unprecedented killing field event that featured daily images of dead fish, dolphin, turtles and manatees, policymakers failed to act to address the core problem.
Third Place
Environmental news
2020
In fact, the Florida legislative session that just ended was characterized as “a disaster for our environment,” by the public interest group Florida Conservation Voters. If it takes numbers to convince you, consider the bottom line. This year’s environmental funding is only 0.003 percent more than last year.
This isn’t a red vs. blue issue as major initiatives (blocked by leadership) were advanced from both sides of the aisle. Three of these blocked bills were championed by local politicians Rep. Will Robinson (R-Bradenton), Rep. Margaret Good (D-Sarasota) and Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota).
If you live on or anywhere near the Gulf and are a homeowner, business owner or tourist, last summer’s explosion of red tide and blue-green algae was a blunt wake-up call. At risk is everything we value including our marine environment, quality of life and businesses. Florida Conservation Voters reminds us, “Democracy isn’t a spectator sport; it requires participation to work.” It also cautions that “Legislators regularly sponsor bills that seek to limit, restrict or hinder many of the principals we hold most dear.”
A case in point: This past session a bill was passed by both chambers that would make it much more difficult for voters to exercise their constitutional right to pass a citizen’s imitative. I don’t know about you, but I want to have the ability to pass a ballot initiative if necessary to protect my property, my business and the marine environment that has sustained me for the past three decades.
If there’s a bright spot in this bleak session, it’s another record year for Everglades funding and other associated water quality projects up and down the coasts, funding made possible by the voter-approved 2014 Water and Land Conservation Amendment (Amendment One). Unfortunately, the Legislature once again severely underfunded the state’s most important suite of land conservation programs, commonly referred to as Florida Forever. The leadership decided to spend only $33 million on a program that had received $300 million for decades.
We as citizens of a barrier island surrounded by water cannot afford to let this become yet another out of sight, out of mind event. Legislators are touting the $3 million a year that was allocated to study red tide for the next five years. Those familiar with the causes and effects know that the real answer is to limit the nutrients that fuel severe and extended blooms.
Unfortunately, interests opposed to addressing the root cause because of financial impacts continue to sway legislators. Meanwhile, the blooms are more frequent and severe and will cost us far more in the future for our failure to act now in any significant way. While the bay and Gulf have a remarkable ability to recover, my three-plus decades point to a diminishing resource that’s less resilient and taking much longer to recover than in the past.
The bottom line is that we have too much at stake to hope for a good result. We all need to lobby our legislators to resist the special interests for which the bottom line is today and next year. They were elected to serve the residents who live, work and raise families here. There’s an elephant in the bay, one we can’t wish away. Let’s all work together to protect this special place we call home.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Non-toxic blue-green algae lingers in local waters and showed up in a new place this week – Warners Bayou in Bradenton – according to today’s report from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Filamentous cyanobacteria (Lyngbya-like) was found in a Warners Bayou canal on Tuesday, May 28, according to today’s report.
The same type of blue-green algae was found on Monday, May 20 in Anna Maria Sound at Key Royale and in the Intracoastal Waterway south of Grassy Point, and in Palma Sola Bay near San Remo Shores. A different type of blue-green algae, Lyngbya majuscule, was found on Wednesday, May 8 in Sarasota Bay near Whitfield Avenue.
No toxins have been detected in any of the blue-green algae samples collected in Manatee County through May 31, according to DEP.
Report algae blooms to DEP at 855-305-3903.
Report fish kills to FWC at 800-636-0511.
The two algae species found in Manatee County waters are not the same species that has plagued Lake Okeechobee, microcystis aeruginosa, according to DEP.
Of the 22 sites tested statewide from May 23-30 by DEP, seven were positive for toxins.
Blue-green algae can be blue, green, brown or red and emit a foul, rotten egg odor caused by the production of hydrogen sulfide gas, according to DEP, which advises staying out of water where algae are visibly present as specks, mats or water is discolored pea-green, blue-green or brownish-red. Additionally, pets or livestock should not be allowed to come into contact with the algal bloom-impacted water, or the algal bloom material or fish on the shoreline.
Even non-toxic blooms can harm the environment by depleting oxygen levels in the water column and reducing the amount of light that reaches submerged plants, according to DEP.
The growth of blue-green algae typically increases in the spring and summer months when water temperatures and daylight hours increase.
Red tide report
No significant red tide is forecast in Manatee County waters through Monday, June 3, according to today’s Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) report.
Background concentrations of red tide were found in water samples off the Anna Maria Island Rod & Reel Pier in lower Tampa Bay and the Coquina Beach south boat ramp in Sarasota Bay on Tuesday, May 28, according to the report.
Background concentrations of the algae that causes Florida red tide, Karenia brevis, have no discernable effects on people or marine life, according to the FWC. In very low concentrations and above, red tide cells emit a neurotoxin when they bloom that can cause shellfish closures and respiratory irritation in people, especially those with asthma, COPD or emphysema. In low concentrations and above, red tide can be deadly to marine life.
No fish kills were reported this week.
Scientists say that salinity, currents, temperature and light play a part in the formation of red tide blooms, as do nutrients from Florida’s natural phosphate and limestone deposits, Caribbean seawater brought to Florida’s west coast on the Loop Current, the Mississippi River, Saharan dust blown across the Atlantic Ocean to Florida’s waters, and fertilizer and animal waste runoff.
To help keep algae growth at bay, Florida law bans the use of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers during the rainy season, June 1 through Sept. 30.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Blue-green algae lingers in local waters, but is non-toxic, unlike some places in Florida, according to a Friday, May 24 report from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
The report shows that blue-green algae was found in Holmes Beach waters on Monday, May 20 in Anna Maria Sound at Key Royale and in the Intracoastal Waterway south of Grassy Point. The same type of algae, filamentous cyanobacteria (Lyngbya-like), also remained in Palma Sola Bay near San Remo Shores. A different type of blue-green algae, Lyngbya majuscule, persists in Sarasota Bay near Whitfield Avenue.
The algae are less prevalent than in the previous May 9 report, according to DEP, which indicated that no toxins have been detected in any of the blue-green algae samples collected in Manatee County through May 20.
Blue-green algae can be blue, green, brown or red and emit a foul, rotten egg odor caused by the production of hydrogen sulfide gas, according to DEP.
Blue-green algae, which can appear brown, was evident near Key Royale on May 9. – Christine Wright | Submitted
The two algae species found in Manatee County waters are not the same species that has plagued Lake Okeechobee, Microcystis aeruginosa, according to DEP. About one-third of Lake Okeechobee may have blue-green algae present, according to the report, which states that the algae can be seen from space.
Of the 22 sites tested statewide from May 17-23 by DEP, seven were positive for toxins. Inland waters in Putnam and St. Johns counties near St. Augustine on Florida’s east coast tested positive for toxic algae, the report shows, citing an unconfirmed report that a dog died after swimming in Lake Broward in Putnam County.
Even non-toxic blooms can harm the environment by depleting oxygen levels in the water column and reducing the amount of light that reaches submerged plants, according to DEP.
The growth of blue-green algae typically increases in the spring and summer months when water temperatures and daylight hours increase.
Red tide report
Background concentrations of red tide were found in water samples off Beer Can Island in Longboat Pass on Sunday, May 19 and 4.6 miles off Coquina Beach in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, May 21, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
Background concentrations of the algae that causes Florida red tide, Karenia brevis, have no discernable effects on people or marine life, according to the FWC. However, in very low concentrations and above, red tide cells emit a neurotoxin when they bloom that can cause shellfish closures and respiratory irritation in people, especially those with asthma, COPD or emphysema. In low concentrations and above, red tide can be deadly to marine life.
No fish kills were reported this week.
Very low concentrations of red tide are predicted in Longboat Key waters through at least Monday, May 27, according to the University of South Florida/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides.
Scientists say that salinity, currents, temperature and light play a part in the formation of red tide blooms, as do nutrients from Florida’s natural phosphate and limestone deposits, Caribbean seawater brought to Florida’s west coast on the Loop Current, the Mississippi River, Saharan dust blown across the Atlantic Ocean to Florida’s waters, and fertilizer and animal waste runoff.
To help keep algae growth at bay, Florida law bans the use of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers during the rainy season, June 1 through Sept. 30.
Report algae blooms to DEP at 855-305-3903 or online. Report fish kills to FWC at 800-636-0511.
Updated Friday, May 17, 2019 – ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Red tide and blue-green algae persist in local waters, according to today’s reports from state and federal environmental agencies.
Very low concentrations of red tide documented on May 13 are predicted to remain at least until Monday, May 20, according to today’s report from the University of South Florida/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Collaboration for the Prediction of Red Tides.
The red tide forecast through May 20 shows low concentrations on the southern half of Anna Maria Island.
No fish kills or respiratory irritation were reported in today’s Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) report.
Report algae blooms to DEP at 855-305-3903 or online.
Report fish kills to FWC at 800-636-0511.
Red tide was found in water samples at the Coquina Beach South boat ramp on May 13 in very low concentrations, according to the FWC.
The report was the first sign of red tide since February, when a bloom disappeared that originated in October 2017 in Southwest Florida, appearing in Island waters in August 2018.
Background concentrations of the algae that causes Florida red tide, Karenia brevis, have no discernable effects on people or marine life. However, in very low concentrations and above, red tide cells emit a neurotoxin when they bloom that can cause shellfish closures and respiratory irritation in people, especially those with asthma, COPD or emphysema. In low concentrations and above, red tide can be deadly to marine life.
The FWC shows Manatee County as the only place in the state with detectable levels of red tide.
Scientists say that salinity, currents, temperature and light play a part in the formation of red tide blooms, as do nutrients from Florida’s natural phosphate and limestone deposits, Caribbean seawater brought to Florida’s west coast on the Loop Current, the Mississippi River, Saharan dust blown across the Atlantic Ocean to Florida’s waters, and fertilizer and animal waste runoff.
Blue-green algae tests negative for toxins
Blue-green algae also remains present in local waters but has tested negative for toxins, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Blue-green algae was detected in water samples in Anna Maria Island canals, Holmes Beach bayside and Palma Sola Bay on May 9. Tests released on Thursday, May 16 show that in all three locations, the “filamentous cyanobacteria (Lyngbya-like)” growths are not toxic.
The algae is not the same blue-green algae species that plagued Lake Okeechobee for several months last year, microcystis aeruginosa, according to DEP.
However, non-toxic blooms can harm the environment by depleting oxygen levels in the water column and reducing the amount of light that reaches submerged plants, according to DEP.
Some blue-green algae can produce toxins that can make people and pets sick if swallowed, and can cause skin and eye irritation if contacted, according to DEP, which advises beachgoers and their pets to stay out of the water if algae is visible as specks or mats, or if the water is discolored pea-green, blue-green or brownish-red.
Toxins also can be inhaled. If people or animals splash or if boats create wakes in water bodies with blue-green algae, the cyanotoxins in the algae can release into the air. The toxins mix with water droplets and spray, making them easily inhaled by people and animals, according to the Florida Department of Health (DOH).
For some people, blue-green algae can cause rashes, stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. People who are very sensitive to smells can experience respiratory irritation. Sometimes, high exposures of toxin can affect the liver and nervous system, according to DOH.
The World Health Organization considers toxin levels under 10 micrograms per liter to represent a low-level risk for adverse health outcomes from short-term recreational exposure; however, they advise that certain sensitive populations, including children, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals may still be at risk even at low concentrations and should avoid any exposure.
Filamentous cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are found worldwide and are a natural part of freshwater, brackish, and marine environments in Florida, according to Mara Gambineri, director of communications at DEP.
The growth of blue-green algae typically increases in the spring and summer months when water temperatures and daylight hours increase, she said.
Filamentous cyanobacteria are photosynthetic organisms, like plants, meaning they can convert sunlight into energy. To do so, they need nutrients like carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus from their environment. Higher levels of these nutrients in the water and sediment can lead to higher levels of filamentous cyanobacteria growth, according to DEP.
For this and other reasons, Florida law bans the use of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers during the rainy season, June 1 through Sept. 30.
Other factors that contribute to blooms include warm temperatures, reduced water flow and lack of animals that eat algae, Gambineri said.
Blooms of filamentous cyanobacteria can form brownish floating blobs or mats that begin to decay and emit a foul, rotten egg odor caused by the production of hydrogen sulfide gas and other organic breakdown byproducts, she said.
A different type of growth, Lyngbya majuscule, was detected in water samples from Sarasota Bay at Whitfield Avenue in south Manatee County on May 8; no toxins were found.
“The Manatee River conditions have improved with no new reports. DEP staff report that conditions look much better except in the Bradenton area,” according to the report.
Blue-green algae called Filamentous cyanobacteria (Lyngbya-like) was first detected on May 9 in Anna Maria Sound at Key Royale, in the Intracoastal Waterway south of Grassy Point, and in Palma Sola Bay near San Remo Shores.
