Red tide confirmed on St. Lucie County beaches; algae could be heading north but weakening
Tyler Treadway
Red tide has made its way into St. Lucie County, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Water samples taken at two beaches in the southern part of the county contained very low concentrations of red tide algae, FWC reported Wednesday evening. Red tide didn't show up in samples taken farther north.
More:What is red tide? Here's what you need to know
Coupled with earlier samples, the FWC's results indicate the red tide is moving north but getting weaker as it goes, said Malcolm McFarland, research associate at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Fort Pierce.
McFarland found moderate levels of red tide at the Jupiter Inlet, low levels at Bathtub Beach and no red tide at the Fort Pierce Inlet.
"At least that's what we're seeing along the beaches," McFarland said. "Offshore, it could be more concentrated father north."
The most popular theory is red tide cells got caught in currents moving it from the Gulf of Mexico, around the tip of Florida and up the state's East Coast via the Gulf Stream.
More: Florida's West Coast suffering from 2 kinds of algae blooms
But the red tide off the East Coast "could be an independent bloom," McFarland said.
Red tide is always in the ocean waters off the Treasure Coast, but it rarely forms big blooms.
"There's a lot to find out," McFarland said. "That's why we need as many people as possible out there monitoring it."
Most recent test results
Samples taken Monday and posted Wednesday evening by the FWC:
Martin County
- Sandsprit Park (near St. Lucie Inlet): Very low concentration
- Indian Riverside Park (Indian River Lagoon): Not present
- Jensen Beach: Very low concentration
St. Lucie County
- Waveland Beach: Very low concentration
- Dollman Park Beach: Very low concentration
- Normandy Bay Beach: Not present
- Ocean Bay: Not present
- Walton Rocks Beach: Not present
- East Midway Road (Indian River Lagoon): Not present
Earlier water test results
Bathtub Beach: Low level, 40,000 cells per liter, enough to cause respiratory irritation and "possible fish kills," according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Sampled Monday by Harbor Branch.
More:Red tide confirmed at popular Bathtub Beach
Jupiter Inlet: Moderate level, 200,000 cells per liter, "enough to cause respiratory irritation and "probable fish kills," according to FWC. Sampled Monday by Harbor Branch.
Palm Beach County: Low to medium level off the coast, where beaches have been closed since Saturday. Sampled Sunday by FWC.
Schools cancel lagoon project
Red tide caused several Martin County schools to cancel their planned participation in Thursday's “A Day in the Life of the Indian River Lagoon,” a program in which students, teachers and environmental experts do research together along the lagoon from Volusia County to Palm Beach County.
School officials are "concerned for the safety of their students," spokeswoman Missy Weiss said in an email to TCPalm. "Obviously, this is a huge disappointment for many reasons, but we are viewing this as important data for the project."
Aside from low levels at Sandsprit Park, red tide hasn't been reported inside the St. Lucie Inlet yet, but the possibility worries Zack Jud, education director at Florida Oceanographic Society in Stuart.
"A long-term red tide in the Indian River Lagoon could lead to widespread loss of marine life," Jud said.
More:Rick Scott, Bill Nelson debate red tide, algae bloom solutions and blame each other
Red tide is a marine algae and needs salty water to live.
Even with ongoing Lake Okeechobee discharges that, along with flow from local canals and streams, have removed practically all the salinity from the St. Lucie River, many areas of the lagoon have enough salt to support red tide.
Red tide also could enter the lagoon via the Fort Pierce Inlet, where water has plenty of salt for the algae to thrive.
Harbor Branch data indicates the bloom hasn't reached that far north, but it could be carried there by the Gulf Stream and be sent into the inlet by east winds and an incoming tide.
Red tide: Helpful numbers
- Martin County beach hotline: 772-320-3112
- Red tide health concerns: 800-222-1222 (Florida Poison Control Center)
- Report fish kills: 800-6360511 (FWC)
The difference between red tide and blue-green algae