Red tide, a condition that can kill marine life and sicken humans, has been reported in Panama City.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported medium concentration of Karenia brevis, the organism that causes red tide, in Bay County, Florida. The outbreak, described as "patchy," is the first reported for Bay County this year.
Several counties in southwest Florida have been battling a red tide outbreak since late last year. The bloom has been blamed for the deaths of thousands of marine animals and respiratory illnesses in humans.
Of the 20 sites sampled in Bay County from Sept. 10-12, Karenia brevis was found in 14 of them, the Panama City News Herald reported. Two sites - St. Andrew Pass and the former Pelican Point Golf Course - reported concentrations of between 100,000 to 1 million cells per liter, levels that could cause respiratory irritation and fish kills.
Fish kills have been reported in Bay and Walton counties.
Red tide is caused when harmful algae blooms grow out of control resulting in toxic and harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals and birds. The species that causes red tide in Florida and the Gulf of Mexico is known as Karenia brevis, often abbreviated as K. brevis.
As the name suggests, the bloom of algae often turns the water red. The water can also turn the water brown, rusty orange or even greenish.
Human illnesses caused by red tide though rare, can be debilitating or even fatal, according to NOAA. The toxins produced by red tide kill fish and make shellfish dangerous to eat. They also make surrounding air difficult to breathe and causes respiratory issues in people.