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Tag: environment

Redfish released for red tide recovery

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Environment, Featured, Fishing, Outdoors.

BRADENTON – More than 2,000 juvenile redfish and 31 hefty adults were released this morning in the waters of Robinson Preserve to restock the fishery, decimated by six months of red tide.

Local waters have been mostly free of the toxic algae for more than a month, making this a good time to maximize the survival of the gamefish, according to officials at the Crystal River Mariculture Center at Duke Energy, where the fish were raised.

The large, satellite-tagged fish were released one at a time, carried in bags by different participants in the project from the holding tanks to the center’s Rhett Gehring, who guided them gently into the water. Medium-sized fish were transported by hand in small tubes and released.

Juvenile fish had quite a different journey, pushed through a black pipe from the holding tanks to the water. They swim against the “current” inside the pipe during the transit so they are not banging against each other, Gehring said.

One last straggler in the holding tank was carried by hand to the water at the Robinson Preserve kayak launch.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tmYZDAd16A[/embedyt]

 

A few dozen people watched the release at Robinson Preserve, a Manatee County park. Robinson’s waters are a healthy ecosystem with sheltered waters that are an excellent choice for the juvenile fish to mature, according to Melissa Nell, division manager of programming and education for the county Parks and Recreation Department.

More than 8,000 juvenile and adult redfish donated by the center already have been released in cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Coastal Conservation Association Florida in Sarasota, Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties. More releases are planned in Charlotte, Lee and Charlotte counties in March.

Duke Energy officials hope anglers will practice catch-and-release of the redfish, a popular gamefish.

“Duke Energy is committed to environmental stewardship,” Eric Latimer, Duke Energy Florida Mariculture Center manager, said in a press release. “Fish mortalities associated with the current red tide bloom in southwest Florida have broad impacts, both to our state’s interconnected biological systems and to the people that make a living from and enjoy our natural resources. We are proud to play a small part in the solution by restocking fish that will contribute to the overall restoration of the affected areas.”

“We’re all aware of the devastation the red tide has caused our fisheries and we’re thrilled to partner with Duke Energy for this amazing redfish stock enhancement initiative,” said Brian Gorski, CCA Florida executive director.

“We appreciate the valuable support from CCA Florida and Duke Energy in helping enhance our world-class redfish fishery,” Eric Sutton, FWC executive director, said in a press release. “This team effort will benefit conservation, outdoor recreation and the state’s economy in many ways.”

The FWC’s latest report shows background traces of red tide – a normal occurrence – statewide, but no discernable effects on people or marine life are predicted.

The bloom began in Southwest Florida waters in October 2017, reaching local waters in August 2018.

Rhett Gehring of the Crystal River Mariculture Center at Duke Energy releases redfish at Robinson Preserve to restock the fishery after red tide. – Cindy Lane | Sun

Rhett Gehring of the Crystal River Mariculture Center at Duke Energy releases redfish at Robinson Preserve to restock the fishery after red tide. – Cindy Lane | Sun

One last straggler is carried by hand to the water during the redfish release. - Cindy Lane | Sun

One last straggler is carried by hand to the water during the redfish release. - Cindy Lane | Sun

Related coverage

Red tide forecast clear

Red tide forecast clear

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Outdoors, Red tide.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The red tide forecast for Anna Maria Island is clear through Sunday, Feb. 24, according to today’s NOAA report and the Feb. 20 report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Background concentrations of red tide continue to drift in area waters, causing respiratory irritation that was reported in Manatee County last week. Red tide also can be carried on the wind to areas where the water is free of the microalgae.

Florida red tide, or Karenia brevis, emits a neurotoxin when it blooms that is deadly to marine life, can make shellfish unfit to eat and can cause respiratory irritation in people, especially those with asthma, COPD or emphysema.

Scientists say that salinity, currents, temperature and light play a part in the formation of blooms, as do nutrients from Florida’s natural phosphate 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.

Beaches to get new sand

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Beach, Featured, Outdoors.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Island beaches are scheduled to get new sand, beginning with a minor repair to Coquina Beach this year, followed by a major project on Coquina Beach and Holmes Beach next year.

Sand from the dredging of Longboat Pass will be placed on Coquina Beach this year, Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker told Manatee County commissioners last week.

For nearly 30 years, the sand from maintenance dredging of the pass has been shared with the Town of Longboat Key. Last time, Longboat Key got all the sand, he said; this time, Anna Maria Island probably will need most of it.

Longboat Key plans to build five groins on its northernmost beach to protect homes threatened by erosion, Hunsicker said.

Early next year, Coquina Beach and Holmes Beach will be renourished in two major projects. The Coquina Beach project is estimated to cost $6.5 million ($3.25 million in state funds and $3.25 million in local funds) and the Holmes Beach project is estimated to cost $16 million ($8 million in federal funds, $4 million in state funds and $4 million in local funds), said Thomas Pierro, principal engineer for APTIM, the county’s beach consultant.

Coquina Beach is not eligible for federal funding because there are no homes there, and the federal government does not assist with renourishment for recreational properties, Hunsicker said, adding that one-fifth of tourist taxes collected in the county are reserved for renourishment. The state helps the county with state funding because Coquina Beach provides ample parking for beachgoers, he added.

Other projects include replacing the jetty, or terminal groin, at the southernmost tip of Anna Maria Island in Longboat Pass, replacing the groins on Coquina Beach and building a 2-acre limestone boulder mitigation reef.

Mitigation efforts

Renourishment impacts the seabed and its marine life, covering hardbottom areas with sand, said Lauren Floyd, senior marine biologist with APTIM.

While Anna Maria Island does not have hard coral reefs like those in the Florida Keys, soft corals live on the exposed hardbottom, a rich habitat for sea life.

The county builds artificial reefs in areas not impacted by renourishment to give marine life a place to go when their habitats are covered with sand, she said.

Project managers also work with Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring to avoid impacting shorebird nests, making buffers around bird nesting areas, Floyd said.

Why renourish?

Beach renourishment protects property, roads and lives, makes nesting grounds for sea turtles and shorebirds and provides a beautiful place for beachgoers to enjoy, Hunsicker said.

In renourishment projects, a freighter sucks up sand from the bottom of the seabed and pumps it through pipes onto a beach, where it is bulldozed out into the shallow water, creating a wider beach. Without renourishment, the beaches would lose an average of 10-12 feet of sand annually, he said.

Manatee County began renourishing beaches in 1992-93, when Island beaches were severely eroded, with seawalls and rocks exposed and water lapping at the foundations of homes. Subsequent major projects in 2002, 2005-06, 2011 and 2013-14 and several smaller projects, including the recent replacement of the three erosion control groins at Twin Piers in Cortez Beach, have continued to keep homes and roads high and dry.

“We can resist up to four feet of sea level rise,” because of renourishment, Hunsicker said.

The 2013-14 beach renourishment project on Anna Maria Island had a heavy impact on beachgoers. - Cindy Lane | Sun

The 2013-14 beach renourishment project on Anna Maria Island had a heavy impact on beachgoers. - Cindy Lane | Sun

2013 beach renourishment- Cindy Lane | Sun

2013 beach renourishment- Cindy Lane | Sun

The 2013-14 beach renourishment project on Anna Maria Island. - Cindy Lane | Sun

The 2013-14 beach renourishment project on Anna Maria Island. - Cindy Lane | Sun

The 2013-14 beach renourishment project on Anna Maria Island. - Cindy Lane | Sun

The 2013-14 beach renourishment project on Anna Maria Island. - Cindy Lane | Sun

The 2013-14 beach renourishment project on Anna Maria Island. - Cindy Lane | Sun

The 2013-14 beach renourishment project on Anna Maria Island. - Cindy Lane | Sun

Charlie Hunsicker - Cindy Lane | Sun

Charlie Hunsicker - Cindy Lane | Sun

Hurricanes have historically caused beach erosion on the Island. - Cindy Lane | Sun

Hurricanes have historically caused beach erosion on the Island. - Cindy Lane | Sun

Hurricanes have historically caused beach erosion on the Island. - Cindy Lane | Sun

Hurricanes have historically caused beach erosion on the Island. - Cindy Lane | Sun

The sand on Anna Maria Island’s beaches is a major tourist draw. - Cindy Lane | Sun

The sand on Anna Maria Island’s beaches is a major tourist draw. - Cindy Lane | Sun

Red tide in air; water clear

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Archives.

Updated Feb. 15, 2019 | ANNA MARIA ISLAND – No red tide is predicted for Manatee County waters through Monday, Feb. 18, according to today’s report from the University of South Florida/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides.

Manatee County waters have remained clear of the toxic algae since Jan. 11, however, respiratory irritation was reported in Manatee County over the past week, according to the FWC and NOAA. Red tide can be carried on the wind to areas where the water is free of the algae.

Statewide over the past week, red tide was observed at background concentrations offshore of Charlotte County in Southwest Florida, where the bloom began in October 2017, reaching Anna Maria Island waters in August 2018.

Florida red tide, or Karenia brevis, is a type of microalgae that emits a neurotoxin when it blooms. Deadly to marine life, red tide also can make shellfish unfit to eat and can cause respiratory irritation in people, especially those with asthma, COPD or emphysema.

According to scientists, salinity, currents, temperature and light play a part in the formation of blooms, as do nutrients from Florida’s natural phosphate deposits, nutrients from Caribbean seawater brought to Florida’s west coast on the Loop Current, nutrients flowing into the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi River, iron-rich Saharan dust blown across the Atlantic Ocean to Florida’s waters, and fertilizer and animal waste runoff.

Red tide stays away

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Outdoors, Red tide.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – No red tide is predicted for Manatee County waters through Monday, Feb. 11, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Manatee County waters were clear of the toxic algae and no red tide-related fish kills were reported locally over the past week.

However, respiratory irritation was reported in Manatee County, according to the report. Red tide can be carried by winds to areas where the water is clear of the algae.

Statewide, background concentrations were found in four water samples in Southwest Florida, where the bloom began in October 2017.

Red tide has been in Anna Maria Island waters on and off since Aug. 3.

Florida red tide, or Karenia brevis, is a type of microalgae that emits a neurotoxin when it blooms. Deadly to marine life, red tide also can make shellfish unfit to eat and can cause respiratory irritation in people.

Scientists say that salinity, currents, temperature and light play a part in the formation of blooms, as do nutrients from Florida’s natural phosphate deposits, the Loop Current, which brings Caribbean seawater to Florida’s west coast, the Mississippi River, iron-rich Saharan dust blown across the Atlantic Ocean to Florida’s waters, and fertilizer and animal waste runoff.

Manatee waters free of red tide

Manatee waters free of red tide

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Outdoors, Red tide.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Local waters remained free of red tide last week, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

No trace of the toxic algae was found in water samples at the Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria or at the Palma Sola Bay bridge in Bradenton on Jan. 28, and only background concentrations were found at the Longboat Pass boat ramp in Bradenton Beach.

However, respiratory irritation was reported on Jan. 24-25 and Jan. 28-29 at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach and on Jan. 23-24 and Jan. 26 at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach, according to the report.

Blooms of Florida red tide can be patchy, with varying concentrations of the toxin it produces, causing effects to be noticeable on one beach but not on a nearby beach. Red tide also can be carried by winds to areas where the water is clear of the algae.

One red tide-related fish kill was reported 30 miles off Longboat Pass on Jan. 30.

The bloom began in Southwest Florida in October 2017 and arrived in Anna Maria Island waters on Aug. 3.

Florida red tide, or Karenia brevis, is a type of microalgae that emits a neurotoxin when it blooms. Deadly to marine life, red tide also can make shellfish unfit to eat and can cause respiratory irritation in people.

Scientists say that salinity, currents, temperature and light play a part in the formation of blooms, as do nutrients from these sources:

  • Florida’s natural phosphate deposits
  • The Loop Current, which brings Caribbean seawater to Florida’s west coast
  • The Mississippi River
  • Saharan dust blown across the Atlantic Ocean to Florida’s waters
  • Fertilizers and animal waste
Red tide cells
Karenia brevis (red tide) cells – Mote Marine | Submitted
John Stevely

Sponge talk absorbing

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Environment, Outdoors.

CORTEZ – John Stevely holds up a two-toned, blue kitchen pot scrubber.

“This is not a sponge,” he declares.

The manmade commercial product is not as absorbent, durable or sustainable as the real thing, the retired Florida Sea Grant marine biologist told listeners at the Florida Maritime Museum on Wednesday.

Stevely, a board member of FISH (the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage), will give short Dock Talks on marine-related subjects at the Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival the weekend of Feb. 16-17.

His talk on sponges was the highlight of the museum’s recent display of sponges from Tarpon Springs, the epicenter of sponge diving in Florida.

sponges
The Florida Maritime Museum displays fruits of the Tarpon Springs sponge diving industry. – Cindy Lane | Sun

The reason natural sponges work better than artificial ones is that they are built to force water into and out of themselves – that’s how they feed, Stevely said. A sponge could fill a residential swimming pool in a day with the amount of water it pumps, all to get about one ounce of nourishment.

Natural sponges can be broken off without killing the whole animal, much like stone crabs can survive having a leg removed.

It doesn’t get more renewable than that, he said.

Sponges are the skeletons of animals, Stevely said, and also are a place where other animals live.

Gold-brown when dead, living sponges have vivid colors, including purple, orange and yellow, and give the water its color variations, he said.

Natural sponges are the preferred tool for window washers, horse groomers and ceramics makers, who use them to shape the wet clay, he said, noting that they also are better bath sponges than anything else.

Before World War II, sponges were the most productive fishery in Florida, Stevely said, with nearly 600,000 pounds of sponges produced in 1906 (think about how light a sponge is to picture that, he said).

But a sponge disease devastated the crop in Florida in 1938, followed by a red tide in 1947.

Then, synthetic sponges began taking over.

In the 1990s, blue-green algae killed many Florida sponges. Today, both blue-green algae and red tide – both harmful algal blooms (HABs) – continue to threaten the sponge population, even more than hurricanes, he said.

Sponges take years to rebound from these events, he said, naming water quality as their primary threat.

Few sponges live in local waters, but they flourish in west central Florida waters around Tarpon Springs and in southern waters off the Florida Keys. Sponge harvesting is now prohibited in the Keys.

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Manatee waters clear of red tide

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Archives.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – No red tide is predicted in Anna Maria Island waters through Monday, Jan. 28, and area waters remained clear of red tide last week, according to today’s Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) report.

NOAA predicts low to very low red tide-related respiratory irritation in Manatee County through Monday.

No red tide was found in water samples at the Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria, the Longboat Pass boat ramp in Bradenton Beach or Palma Sola Bay as of Jan. 22, according to the FWC. However, three red tide-related fish kills were reported in Manatee County over the past week, one at the Anna Maria City Pier.

Respiratory irritation was reported on Jan. 17 and Jan. 19-20 at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach and Jan. 20-21 and Jan. 23 at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach, according to the FWC.

Blooms of Florida red tide can be patchy, with varying concentrations of the toxin it produces, causing effects to be noticeable on one beach but not on a nearby beach.

The bloom, which is now affecting Collier County to the south, began in Southwest Florida in October 2017 and arrived in Anna Maria Island waters on Aug. 3.

Wildlife impacts

Since the bloom began in 2017, red tide has caused 589 sea turtle deaths, according to the FWC.

Of the 824 manatees that died in Florida waters in 2018, 132 of them were caused by red tide, including 10 from Manatee County, with six of those discovered around Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key, the FWC reports. An additional 79 manatee deaths are suspected to have been caused by red tide, for a total of 211 probable red tide deaths, more than from watercraft (121 deaths) last year.

As of Dec. 20, 2018, 127 dolphins had died from red tide in Florida waters, according to NOAA, which stopped tracking dolphin mortality during the federal government shutdown that was suspended today.

Causes

Florida red tide, or Karenia brevis, is a type of microalgae that emits a neurotoxin when it blooms. Deadly to marine life, red tide also can make shellfish unfit to eat and can cause respiratory irritation in people.

Scientists say that salinity, currents, temperature and light play a part in the formation of red tide blooms, in addition to:

  • nutrient runoff from Florida’s natural phosphate deposits
  • nutrients from the Loop Current, which brings Caribbean seawater to Florida’s west coast
  • natural and man-made nutrients that travel down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico
  • nutrients from iron-rich Saharan dust blown across the Atlantic Ocean to Florida’s waters
  • nutrients including nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers and animal waste.

Weekend red tide forecast varies

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Outdoors, Red tide.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The University of South Florida/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) predicts no red tide through Monday, Jan. 21 in Manatee County, but NOAA predicts respiratory irritation, according to today’s reports.

While the USF/FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides gives the all-clear to Manatee County, NOAA’s Gulf of Mexico Harmful Algal Bloom Bulletin today predicts moderate levels of respiratory irritation through Monday, Jan. 21 on Manatee County’s Gulf side and moderate to high levels of irritation on the bay side.

NOAA defines “moderate” levels as affecting the general public with mild symptoms, in addition to those sensitive to red tide and those with chronic respiratory conditions.

Concentrations of red tide are patchy, and respiratory irritation will vary based on bloom concentration, ocean currents and wind speed and direction, according to NOAA, which notes on its website that “Parts of the U.S. Government are closed. However, because the information this site provides is necessary to protect life and property, it will be updated and maintained during the Federal Government shutdown.”

Mote Marine Laboratory’s beach report today showed no respiratory irritation at Manatee Beach or Coquina Beach.

Red tide was not found in water samples at the Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria, the Longboat Pass boat ramp in Bradenton Beach or Palma Sola Bay on Jan. 14, according to today’s FWC report.

No fish kills were reported in Manatee County, but respiratory irritation was reported on Jan. 10-12, Jan. 14 and Jan. 16-17 at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach and Jan. 10, Jan. 12, and Jan. 14 at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach, according to the FWC.

The bloom began in Southwest Florida in October 2017 and arrived in Anna Maria Island waters on Aug. 3; it has now surpassed the most recent record red tide of 2005-06.

Florida red tide, or Karenia brevis, is a type of microalgae that emits a neurotoxin when it blooms. Deadly to marine life, red tide also can make shellfish unfit to eat and can cause respiratory irritation in people.

Ducks at Perico Preserve

Residents sound off on duck hunting

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in First Place, Special Sections.

MANATEE COUNTY – County commissioners heard the first volley of complaints from residents about duck hunting near county preserves bordering neighborhoods at a land use meeting on Jan. 10.Florida Press Association logo - front

“Residents have endured shotgun blasts beginning as early as 6 a.m. and going on all day,” said Mark Lorenze, who answers panicked phone calls from neighbors as chair of the security committee at Perico Bay Club.

First Place

Outdoor and Recreation

2020

Mark Lorenze
Mark Lorenze

People using the walking trails at Perico Preserve also are alarmed by the unexpected gunshots of duck hunters, he said.

“The preserves were set up to attract and protect wildlife, including the waterfowl these hunters seek to kill,” he said, adding that studies show that loud noises scare birds off their nests, leaving the eggs unprotected.

“It doesn’t make sense to allow hunters to kill birds at the edges of these preserves meant to protect them,” he said. “Birds can’t see boundary lines.”

The Anna Maria Island Sun exposed the hunting activity on Dec. 1, 2018 at Perico Preserve, a bird sanctuary just across Perico Bayou from Robinson Preserve.

https://amisun.com/2018/12/01/hunters-have-bird-lovers-crying-foul-at-perico-preserve/

The hunting activity quickly moved to nearby Neal Preserve, across Manatee Avenue and to the west of Perico, reported on Dec. 14, 2018.

https://amisun.com/2018/12/14/duck-hunting-spreads-to-neal-preserve/

Hunting is not allowed in the preserves, except for Duette Preserve in east Manatee County. However, duck hunters can legally shoot birds on the wing while standing or boating in state waters bordering preserves if they are properly licensed, trained and armed with the right weapon and ammunition in season, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Officer Timothy Hinds.

Residents of Wild Oak Bay were astonished to find out hunting is legal near their homes, said Stuart Smith, a resident of the community on Sarasota Bay near Bayshore Gardens.

Stuart Smith
Stuart Smith

On Dec. 26 and 27, dozens of shots were fired by duck hunters in the neighborhood, he said.

“Clearly we have some loopholes to close,” said Smith, who plans to discuss the issue next week with Florida Rep. Will Robinson, for whose family Robinson Preserve is named.

Land development codes have tools to prohibit neighborhoods from incompatible uses, Smith said, suggesting the commission pass an ordinance prohibiting hunting in urban residential neighborhoods, using the county’s existing urban development zone boundary line to allow hunting to the east of the line, in less populated areas.

“This is the right thing to do,” Smith said. “It’s common sense. It’s time. All it takes is the will to do it.”

“I’m very disheartened today to hear that ducks are being shot” near county preserves, Manatee County Commissioner Misty Servia said.

“People could get hurt. Bird rookeries are in danger,” she said, suggesting the commission address the issue at a future meeting with input from the county attorney’s office.

Commissioner Betsy Benac said she has hunted ducks in Michigan, but does not “recall ever seeing a house while hunting.”

Any regulations considered should address where hunters can or cannot hunt, not regulate guns, she said.

The incompatibility of guns, preserves and densely populated neighborhoods worries Charlie Hunsicker, the county’s Parks and Natural Resources director, who has asked the county attorney’s office to study the commission’s options.

“We are researching it and there will be some information forthcoming hopefully in the near future,” Commissioner Stephen Jonsson said.

The duck hunting season lasts until Sunday, Jan. 27, according to the FWC.

Red tide sign

Weekend red tide forecast low on Island

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Archives.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Low levels of red tide are forecast through Monday, Jan. 14, according to today’s report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Low concentrations appeared in water samples at the Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria and the Longboat Pass boat ramp in Bradenton Beach on Jan. 7. Very low concentrations were recorded at Palma Sola Bay the same day.

No fish kills were reported in Manatee County this week, but respiratory irritation was reported on Jan. 3, Jan. 5-7 and Jan. 9-10 at Coquina Beach and Jan. 3, Jan. 5, Jan. 7 and Jan. 9-10 at Manatee Beach, according to the FWC.

The rest of the state was clear of red tide through Jan. 10 with two exceptions – Collier County had high levels and low levels were recorded in the Florida Keys.

Medium and high levels are predicted on barrier islands off Sarasota County this weekend, according to the University of South Florida/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides.

The start of the New Year brought a resurgence of the red tide bloom, which had dwindled the last week of 2018 to one background concentration in Palma Sola Bay – the only evidence in the state of the toxic algae.

The bloom began in Southwest Florida in October 2017 and arrived in Anna Maria Island waters on Aug. 3; it has now surpassed the most recent record red tide of 2005-06.

Florida red tide, or Karenia brevis, is a type of microalgae that emits a neurotoxin when it blooms. Deadly to marine life, red tide also can make shellfish unfit to eat and can cause respiratory irritation in people.

Background concentrations of red tide cause no anticipated effects. Very low levels cause possible respiratory irritation. Low levels cause respiratory irritation, shellfish harvesting closures and possible fish kills. Medium levels cause respiratory irritation, shellfish harvesting closures and probable fish kills. High levels cause all the above, plus water discoloration.

Red tide gone in Manatee, back in Sarasota

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Archives.

PALMA SOLA BAY – The last trace of red tide in Manatee County disappeared this week from its holdout position in Palma Sola Bay, but it has resurfaced in high concentrations in Sarasota County.

Most Florida waters are free from red tide as of Jan. 2, according to today’s report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

But high concentrations appeared in water samples off Lido Key and Siesta Key in Sarasota County that day, with medium concentrations at New Pass and low concentrations at Turtle Beach. Very low concentrations were found at Venice Beach, Nokomis Beach and Casperson Beach further south.

In Manatee County, no fish kills were reported, but respiratory irritation was reported on Dec. 30 at Coquina Beach and Dec. 27 and Dec. 29-30 at Manatee Beach, according to the FWC.

The weekend forecast through Monday, Jan. 7 is for low to high levels of red tide on Longboat Key and for low levels to the south, according to the University of South Florida/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides.

Today’s NOAA report predicts moderate respiratory irritation on Saturday, Jan. 5 on south Manatee County’s Gulf coast, and low irritation Sunday and Monday, Jan. 6-7. In south Manatee County’s bay regions, NOAA predicts moderate irritation all three days.

The report notes that “concentrations are patchy in nature and levels of respiratory irritation will vary locally based upon nearby bloom concentrations, ocean currents, and wind speed and direction.”

A prediction by NOAA oceanographer Rick Stumpf that storms on Dec. 20-21 would likely end the bloom held true for only two weeks.

The resurgence of the bloom, in its 15th month, comes a week after other hopeful news – red tide was not found in any water samples collected in Florida waters as the Christmas holidays began other than the background concentration in Palma Sola Bay, and no red tide was forecast for the last week of the year.

The bloom began in Southwest Florida in October 2017 and arrived in Anna Maria Island waters on Aug. 3; it is lasting longer than the most recent record red tide of 2005-06.

Florida red tide, or Karenia brevis, is a type of microalgae that emits a neurotoxin when it blooms. Deadly to marine life, red tide also can make shellfish unfit to eat and can cause respiratory irritation in people.

Background concentrations of red tide cause no anticipated effects. Very low levels cause possible respiratory irritation. Low levels cause respiratory irritation, shellfish harvesting closures and possible fish kills. Medium levels cause respiratory irritation, shellfish harvesting closures and probable fish kills. High levels cause all the above, plus water discoloration.

Red tide gone with the wind

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Archives.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – A NOAA scientist’s prediction that recent storms gave red tide a fatal beating appears to be coming true just in time for high tourist season.

For the first time in 14 months, no red tide is predicted in Southwest Florida in today’s three-day forecast by the University of South Florida/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides.

Another first – red tide was not found in any water samples collected last week in Florida waters except for one in Manatee County, a background concentration at the Palma Sola Bay bridge, according to today’s FWC report.

Background concentrations of red tide cause no anticipated effects on people or marine life.

NOAA oceanographer Rick Stumpf told The Sun last week that the Dec. 20-21 storm would likely break up the bloom that began in Southwest Florida in October 2017 and arrived in Anna Maria Island waters on Aug. 3. The bloom rivaled one in 2005-06 that lasted 14 months.

Red tide cells crippled by winds gusting to 50 mph and waves cresting at 10 feet would be unable to swim toward nutrients, he predicted, saying, “If we have a normal winter this year, this will be the end of the bloom.”

No fish kills were reported in Manatee County last week, but respiratory irritation was reported on Dec. 21 and Dec. 25-26 at Manatee Beach, according to the FWC.

Florida red tide, or Karenia brevis, is a type of microalgae that emits a neurotoxin when it blooms. Deadly to marine life, red tide also can make shellfish unfit to eat and can cause respiratory irritation in people.

Background concentrations of red tide cause no anticipated effects. Very low levels cause possible respiratory irritation. Low levels cause respiratory irritation, shellfish harvesting closures and possible fish kills. Medium levels cause respiratory irritation, shellfish harvesting closures and probable fish kills. High levels cause all of the above, plus water discoloration.

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Wave

Storm may have beat red tide back

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Updated Dec. 21, 2018 – ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Bad weather may have brought the Christmas gift that Floridians have been asking for – the beginning of the end of red tide.

The bloom that began in Southwest Florida in October 2017 and arrived in Anna Maria Island waters on Aug. 3 had been getting weaker before the storms arrived, NOAA oceanographer Rick Stumpf said.

Richard Stumpf, NOAA
Richard Stumpf, NOAA

Concentrations of the toxic algae had disappeared or fallen to background or very low levels everywhere in the state except for two sites in Manatee County as of Dec. 17, according to Friday’s update from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

“If we have a normal winter this year, this will be the end of the bloom.” – Rick Stumpf, NOAA

Since those samples were taken, heavy weather on Dec. 20-21 gave red tide cells a beating in the waves, likely dealing a serious blow to the 14-month bloom in Southwest Florida waters, according to Stumpf.

Red tide swims toward light and nutrients, and steady, rough weather can keep the cells from getting to their food and growing, he said.

The same storm-tossed water causes diatoms – good algae that produce oxygen – to grow and gradually overtake red tide, Stumpf said.

“If we have a normal winter this year, this will be the end of the bloom,” he said.

Forecast

Forecasters predict medium levels of red tide through at least Monday, Dec. 24 at Palma Sola Bay, and very low levels around Anna Maria Island, according to the University of South Florida/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides.

Red tide is a type of algae that emits a neurotoxin when it blooms. Deadly to fish, sea turtles, marine mammals and shorebirds that feed on affected fish, red tide makes shellfish unfit to eat, and can cause respiratory irritation in people, especially those with asthma, COPD or other respiratory diseases.

A medium concentration of the harmful algae was detected on Dec. 17 in water samples at Palma Sola Bay and a very low concentration was found at Longboat Pass that day.

High concentrations of red tide detected in a sample at Palma Sola Bay on Dec. 13 were no longer present on Dec. 17.

No fish kills were reported in Manatee County last week, but respiratory irritation was reported, according to the FWC.

Related coverage

New tourism initiatives address red tide challenges

Shark fishing

FWC may restrict shoreline shark fishing

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Fishing, Outdoors.

Beachgoers’ concerns about shoreline shark fishing have prompted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to consider tightening shark fishing rules at its February hearing.

Proposed changes include prohibiting chumming for sharks from beaches, requiring a free, annual shore-based shark fishing permit necessitating online education, and requiring the use of non-offset, non-stainless-steel circle hooks when fishing from shore or a vessel.

The FWC gave preliminary approval to the proposals last week based on input from public workshops around the state last summer, with a goal of maximizing the survival of released sharks and minimizing public safety concerns.

“Increased public interest in shark conservation combined with growing human use of coastal areas and increasing attention surrounding shore-based shark fishing has led to increasing public concerns about shark mortality and disagreements about the compatibility of shore-based shark fishing and other shore-based recreational activities,” FWC Director of Marine Fisheries Management Jessica McCawley wrote in a memo on the draft rule.

Shark fishing
Shark fishing on Anna Maria Island’s beaches draws crowds and criticism. – Cindy Lane | Sun

A common concern of beachgoers is that shoreline shark fishing draws sharks to nearshore waters where people are swimming, but “sharks regularly inhabit and feed in nearshore water and there is no credible evidence that fishing increases the likelihood of a shark bite occurring in nearby waters,” according to a presentation made to the commission about the proposed rules last week in St. Augustine.

FWC draft rule proposal on chumming

68B-2.011 Chumming.

(1) It is unlawful for any person to place chum in the water for the purposes of fishing from a beach or wade fishing in waters immediately adjacent to a beach. This shall not be construed to prohibit the use of a baited hook when fishing with hook and line gear, placing bait in a trap authorized pursuant to 68B-4.020 in order to target marine organisms by enticing them to enter the trap, or the use of a baited trotline for the harvest of blue crab.

(2) For the purposes of this rule, “chum” means fish, fish parts, other animal products, or synthetic products created or intended to chemically or otherwise resemble animal products placed in the water for the purpose of attracting a marine organism.

(3) For the purposes of this rule, “beach” shall be defined as any area of shoreline along a body of marine or brackish water that is covered predominantly in sand, with sufficient sand above the mean high-water line to support sunbathing.

Under the rule, any person fishing from shore and using one of the following gears or fishing methods would be considered a shore-based shark angler regardless of the species targeted – using a fighting belt or harness, using a metal leader longer than four feet in length or deploying bait by any means other than casting (such as kayaking out a bait).

The rule also would prohibit delaying the release of prohibited shark species for any reason other than removing the hook or cutting the hook or line, and require that prohibited sharks remain in the water as much as practical while ensuring the safety of anglers.

“Post-release shark mortality in the shore-based fishery can be caused by stress on the animal from lengthy fight times that sometimes occur when bringing the shark to shore, which can disproportionately affect some species, including the great hammerhead,” according to the presentation. “Another potential cause of post-release mortality is injury to a shark’s internal organs which may be caused by bringing large sharks out of the water or damage to gills as a result of being exposed to air.”