Red Tide Affects North Lido Beach

Dead fish washed ashore on North Lido Beach. Photos by Katie Best.

A nasty red tide bloom, that has swept in from Naples all the way to Tampa, is affecting our North Lido Key beach as well. The microscopic toxic algae gathers in murky clumps, causing respiratory irritation and killing marine life. LSPOA member Katie Best took these pictures while walking the beach Thursday morning.

Katie says although not as drastic as the pictures from Siesta Key, "...eels, and fish of all kinds are washing up on our section of the beach." She noted smooth puffers, silver sides, sail catfish and lady fish among those washed ashore.  Katie says she revisited the beach Thursday evening and there were triple the amount of dead fish as when she took the pictures in the morning.  She described it as; "Coughing almost instantly as you approach the beach entrance and eyes also started to water. Pretty nasty out there."

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission reports that dead fish have been found in Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, Collier and Monroe counties, and also include such species as grouper, trout, snook and tarpon.

Agal blooms can start about 40-miles offshore. Their movement is dependent on currents and winds that push the blooms to shore. The toxin in red tide is dispersed into the air when bubbles in sea foam pop.

Long-time Lido Shorians remember the last intense red tide bloom lasted some 18-months back in 2005 and 2006.

Be sure to check the Mote Aquarium's Beach Report website before venturing to the beach: https://visitbeaches.org/

~Bob Thill

Turtle egg found broken open.

Lido Beach 8-2-18: www.visitbeaches.org