Mote Marine Lab's CEO and President, Dr. Michael Crosby, said people can expect major developments in fighting the red tide within in the next few years.
When visitors search Sarasota County online, instead of seeing pictures of our beautiful beaches, they see horrible images of when red tide was taking over the Suncoast.
Thanks to the recent surge of people going to the beaches in both Sarasota and Manatee Counties, local businesses, which suffered from the affects of the red tide, are returning back to normalcy.
Though red tide is still off the Suncoast, no high concentrations were found and only two sites in Manatee and Sarasota counties had medium concentrations of the algae.
Another wave of red tide has hit the Palma Sola Causeway, leaving tons of dead fish along the shoreline. This fish kill is a little different, the majority of the fish this time are catfish.
In recent weeks, though concentrations have remained high, there has been less intensity. Some have credited the cooler temperatures, but Mote says the water temperature for Sarasota County beaches still remains between 70 and 72 degrees.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said generally speaking, concentrations increased in some areas of Sarasota County while decreasing in others, and increased overall in Charlotte County. Concentrations remained from background to high in Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties.
Some local businesses are still feeling the affects of this year's red tide bloom, with some Downtown Sarasota shops down 25% compared to this time last year.
Mote Marine Lab hired a scientific director to manage its new red tide institute. Dr. Cynthia Heil has an extensive background studying Florida red tide, including working with NOAA and the FWC.
After Hurricane Michael plowed through the Gulf of Mexico, red tide essentially disappeared from the shoreline. But over the past two weeks, red tide has returned, being found in high concentrations from Manatee to Charlotte counties and turning the sample map red.
The Chalk Festival features pavement artists who turn the airport runway surface into a museum-in-motion, creating oversized masterpieces using chalk as their medium. The Board of the Directors for the Avenida de Colores voted to reschedule the festival in late September, but did not set a new date.
FWC reports Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties had high concentrations, along with some medium concentrations in the same general area. Compared to last week, concentrations generally decreased in Sarasota County but increased in Charlotte County.
Sarasota County looking at a new plan for fertilizer. County commissioners say they'll consider a voluntary year-round ban on fertilizer to help combat the red tide.
Red tide moves through the water in patches. On Monday afternoon, beachgoers were experiencing respiratory irritation on Coquina Beach. 24 hours later, more than a dozen visitors enjoyed the water and sand without any reports of respiratory irritants.
SARASOTA, FL (WWSB) - Red tide is creeping back up to the Suncoast after being pushed offshore when Hurricane Michael bellowed through the Gulf of Mexico.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump has signed a wide-ranging bill to improve the nation's water infrastructure, including a Florida project intended to reduce toxic algae blooms that have devastated coastal marine life and emptied beaches.
SARASOTA, FL (WWSB) - The official FWC Red Tide report does not come out again until Wednesday, but based off of the last report on Friday, red tide levels continue to be low on the Suncoast. Even though we aren't seeing a big bloom at the moment, MOTE Marine Lab is staying on top of the issue and taking a step forward to combat the toxic algae.
SANIBEL, FL (WWSB) - An area normally teeming with life shows hardly any in a video posted to Facebook by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
MANATEE COUNTY, FL (WWSB) - The U.S. Small Business Administration is opening a recovery center on Bradenton Beach to help business owners who have been affected by red tide.
Experts say although Hurricane Michael did improve things on many Suncoast beaches, it did not kill the red tide and we're at the mercy of the wind. So depending on which way the wind is blowing, we could see and feel the effects of red tide back on area beaches at anytime.
SARASOTA, FL (WWSB) - The latest data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shows even less red tide concentration from their last update.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND, FL (WWSB) -- It's too early to tell if red tide has subsided, but beach-goers are stepping on sugar white sand, and swimming in clearer water.
VENICE, FL (WWSB) - "It’s been a bugger of a summer with the construction going on and the red tide," said Mark Andes, owner of Island Life Hammock Company on Venice Avenue.
SARASOTA, FL (WWSB) - In their midweek update, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says there's been a further decrease in red tide concentrations along the Suncoast.
SARASOTA, FL (WWSB) - Starting Monday, Mote Marine, with funding support from the Florida Department of Health, will begin air testing in Sarasota County for red tide toxins.
SARASOTA, FL (WWSB) - Week-to-week, the concentration of red tide along the Suncoast has dropped 5-25 percent in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND, FL (WWSB) - Between the snowbirds making their way to Florida, and stone crabs making their way into the kitchen, the Anna Maria Oyster Bar is getting ready for a boom in business.
SARASOTA, FL (WWSB) - Though drone video might make you believe red tide is still raging along the Suncoast, according to the latest red tide report, it's actually gotten a bit better.
SIESTA KEY, FL (WWSB) - Though conditions have somewhat improved along the Suncoast according to the most recent red tide report from FWC, drone video from Siesta Key shows there's still a long way to go until crystal clear waters return.
SARASOTA, FL (WWSB) - If you were thinking of heading to the beach this weekend, make sure you check out VisitBeaches.org first because the red tide bloom along the Suncoast is now said to be patchy.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND, FL (WWSB) - "Aside from a little bit of seaweed in the water it was great, the water temperature is wonderful," said Raymond Strilec, who is visiting from New Jersey.
HAVANA, Fla. (AP) — Florida wildlife officials have decided to change fishing rules for snook and redfish through 2019 due to widespread toxic red tide algae in the Gulf of Mexico.
Due to the persistent red tide and intensity of it the Florida Fish and Wild Life commission is now saying red fish and snook are catch and release only through May 10th 2018.
TALLAHASSEE, FL (WWSB) - On Monday, Governor Rick Scott's office announced it is giving $2.2 million to Mote Marine Laboratory as it continues to experiment with ozone.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND, FL (WWSB) - It's hard to keep track of red tide conditions at Suncoast beaches.The number of dead fish, level of respiratory irritation, and water color changes daily.
SARASOTA, FL (WWSB) - The red tide bloom is still along the Suncoast, extending around 10 miles or more offshore from northern Pinellas to northern Collier counties, and there's a patchy bloom in Northwest Florida.
FLORIDA (WWSB) - "Florida is known as a fishing destination. It's the best place to go without a passport. We have a catch phrase that's 'No Passport Needed'. I think the marquee species that we have are three large inshore game fish species: snook, trout and redfish," Captain Mike Slattery, from the Palm Island Outfitters, said.
TALLAHASSEE, FL (WWSB) - Could a specialized clay quell the effects of red tide? That's what a newly announced partnership with red tide experts hopes to uncover.
VENICE, FL (WWSB) - When reporter Rebecca Fernandez was at Caspersen Beach in Venice last week, it was totally different from what she found on Monday.
VENICE, FL (WWSB) - In the wake of this red tide outbreak, leaders in the City of Venice are taking a stance against fertilizers and their potential to pollute our waters. It wasn't the full stance that many officials, like Vice Mayor Bob Daniels, were hoping for. However, it still is one step closer in what they say is the right direction.
MANATEE COUNTY, FL (WWSB)- Manatee County is putting aside half a million dollars from the tourism tax reserve fund to keep county beaches clean. That was approved Tuesday by county commissioners.
SARASOTA, FL (WWSB) - Test results confirm Mote Marine Laboratory's suspicions that many of the dead dolphins recovered last month died from red tide exposure.
