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Red tide is a harmful algal bloom that produces a strong odor like rotten eggs, and a large bloom has been detected off the coast of Florida that could contain the algae.
Satellite images show a huge mass of algae spanning from the Nature Coast to the northern part of the Everglades.
Tampa Bay Estuary Program Assistant Director Maya Burke says it’s likely a mix of red tide and other kinds of algae.
“That’s really what we’ve been seeing both in our bays and in nearshore waters, so it’s been all these other alphabet soup kind of algaes that people aren’t as familiar with – some of which are harmful, some of which aren’t necessarily harmful,” Burke said.
Burke says recent hurricanes could have an impact and it’s not abnormal to see blooms this time of year.
“They’re influencing the wind, the currents, all of those sorts of things, and they’re also influencing rainfall. And with rainfall, we have storm water runoff, and that storm water runoff contains a variety of nutrient pollutions,” Burke said.
Red tide is a harmful algal bloom that can kill marine life and make air difficult to breathe or cause respiratory issues.
Pinellas County says it will continue monitoring the bloom, with a county map showing low to very low levels on their shores as of Thursday morning.
