NAPLES, Fla – New water samplings show higher concentrations of red tide on some Collier County beaches. There are also reports of dead fish in various areas.
Thursday morning swimmers told Fox 4 they didn't see many dead fish, but did notice a bad smell. Collier County crews were out sweeping the sand and only reported seeing a few dead fish themselves.
However, Vanderbilt Beach and Barefoot Beach are both seeing medium concentrations, up from low concentrations earlier in the week. Low levels have been recorded at Naples Pier and Seagate Beach. The results are from water that was sampled Monday.
Vanderbilt Beach and Barefoot Beach are both seeing medium concentrations, up from low concentrations earlier in the week. Low levels have been recorded at Naples Pier and Seagate Beach. The results are from water that was sampled Monday.
Dead fish have been reported at Del Wiggins Back Bay, Clam Bay, along Gordon Pass, Naples Bay and some Marco Island Canals.
Fox 4 spoke with experts about whether or not they anticipate this year’s red time bloom to be as bad as last year’s which lasted 18 months. Florida Gulf Coast University Professer Dr. Mike Parsons said it's difficult to predict.
“Once it’s a bloom, we can’t do anything to control it or to combat it, so the real problem is being able to detect it early enough where we may be able to prevent it from becoming a large scale problem,” said Parsons.
The latest results also indicate a higher risk for respiratory irritation. However, offshore winds continue to offer some relief.
