DOH-Lee issues health alert for red tide along Lee County coast
Published: December 21, 2020 2:26 PM EST
Updated: December 21, 2020 2:41 PM EST
Recommended
The Florida Department of Health in Lee County (DOH-Lee) is notifying the public of a red tide bloom near South Seas Plantation Beach Access on Captiva Island, Lighthouse Beach Park and Tarpon Bay Road Beach on Sanibel, Lynn Hall Park on Fort Myers Beach, and Lovers Key State Park
Some people may have mild and short-lived respiratory symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritation similar to cold symptoms.
Some individuals with breathing problems such as asthma might experience more severe symptoms. Usually, symptoms go away when a person leaves the area or goes indoors.
SCCF Marine Lab monitoring recent red tide bloom
By SCCF - | Dec 16, 2020
SCCF
Red tide sampling on Dec. 3.
Scientists at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s Marine Lab have been tracking a red tide bloom that came to their attention on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, according to officials.
Satellite imagery provided by SCCF’s colleagues at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicated the development and transport of a red tide (Karenia brevis) algae bloom toward Sanibel on Thanksgiving.
The sequence of satellite images showed a large patch that had the optical characteristics of a dinoflagellate bloom. Since the first week of December, volunteers and staff have collected water samples from Bowman’s Beach, Tarpon Bay Road Beach, and Lighthouse Beach. At that time, the number of Karenia brevis, the single-cell dinoflagellate that causes red tide, were low, less than 100,000 cells per liter.