Red tide is back in the Gulf. But did it ever really go away? | Thumb down

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, communities along Florida's Gulf Coast are seeing another spike in red tide.

High concentrations of the toxic algae blooms have been reported off Sarasota and in the area around Marco Island in Collier County.

Health officials say it’s possible, though not probable, the red tide will again make its way around the southern tip of Florida and bedevil the Treasure Coast.

That red tide continues to plague the Gulf Coast is worrying; experts say the naturally occurring red tide cells in the Gulf never disappear entirely, but some fear pollutants in our waters have exacerbated the nightmarish blooms that have lasted more than a year.

The Gulf Coast got a brief respite when waters cooled in the fall; that break may now be over. Let's hope this latest bloom — and all the trouble it portends — soon goes away for good.