For now, though, all seems well.
"The fishermen of Cortez are keeping their eyes on local water conditions," Bell said. "So far, they have seen some algal blooms, but not too much beyond that. The winds have kept them off the water this week. They're hoping the turbulence created by the weather will help break up any static water where algae growth would thrive."
Charter boat captain Rios said he hasn't come across any red tide either.
Red tide is not a new phenomenon
The Florida Department of Health notes that red tides were documented in the southern Gulf of Mexico in the 1700s and along Florida's Gulf Coast since the 1840s. But the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says Karenia brevis, the microorganism responsible for red tide, was not identified until 1946.