Fish kills were reported in Sarasota and Charlotte counties, and respiratory irritations were also recorded there, along with Manatee County.
Toxic red tide algae blooms remain in Sarasota and Charlotte counties, with Collier County joining them. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissionsaid Friday that fish kills were reported in Sarasota and Charlotte over the past week, and that respiratory irritations were also recorded in Sarasota, Charlotte, and Manatee counties. In addition, Manatee is experiencing low concentrations of the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, along with Lee and Monroe counties. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection said in its daily Piney Point update that it's continuing to work with the FWC and the Florida Department of Health to monitor water quality in Tampa Bay. That's after more than 200 million gallons of wastewater was pumped out of the former phosphate plant into Port Manatee to prevent a catastrophic reservoir collapse. The DEP's update said, "FWC sampling results in the localized area of discharges in Manatee County remain within the range of non-detect to low concentrations of K. brevis (a species of red tide). There are no reported fish kills in this area."
