Red tide conditions improving, Sarasota County staff say

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Sarasota County parks and natural resources staff reported Friday that while red tide is still present at all 16 beaches in Sarasota County, continued improvements are being seen, with mostly no to minor respiratory irritation and marine debris.

There are no red tide beach cleanup operations planned for Friday. Regular beach grooming occurred on Siesta Beach Friday morning.

In combination with the county’s cleaning operations, along with the City of Venice and the City of Sarasota, approximately 60 tons of marine debris have been removed since Aug. 4.

County staff will continue to monitor and evaluate public beaches and access points each morning to determine if conditions meet the beach cleaning policy threshold.

Citizens and visitors are encouraged to register for the red tide newsletter by clicking the red button on the top right of scgov.net/redtide, as well as check daily beach conditions at visitbeaches.org.