A red tide bloom rarely seen on Florida’s Atlantic coast has turned up near Fort George Inlet in Jacksonville, and it’s already changing weekend plans. Belynda Rutledge had been planning to go paddleboarding near the inlet, but she changed course after learning about the red tide warning circulating through the area.
The Florida Department of Health in Duval County issued a formal health alert on Monday after water samples collected on August 6 near the inlet confirmed the presence of Karenia brevis, the microscopic alga responsible for red tide, according to Action News Jax. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has rated the concentration around the inlet as medium, and per FWC, that tier covers 100,000 to 1,000,000 Karenia brevis cells per liter, a range associated with respiratory irritation, probable fish kills, and detection from satellite imagery.
As News4JAX reports, red tide is a harmful algal bloom that can release toxins into both water and air, and Karenia brevis produces toxins capable of harming fish, birds, and other marine life. Exposure can cause burning or watery eyes, throat irritation, skin irritation, and coughing or sneezing, and the outlet notes that anyone experiencing irritation at the beach should move away from the affected area. Pet owners are advised to keep animals away from affected water and dead fish, since red tide toxins can make pets sick.
A Gulf Coast Phenomenon Showing Up in the Wrong Place
What makes this bloom notable isn’t just its intensity but its location. Red tide is found almost exclusively in the waters stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to Florida, per FWC, and Karenia brevis is primarily a Gulf organism that rarely survives the trip around the Florida peninsula. Blooms spreading to Florida’s Atlantic coast are exceptionally rare, having been documented only nine times in the past 70 years according to historical state and climate records cited by TIME…