LEE COUNTY, Fla. -- The current red tide bloom is the worst to hit Florida in over a decade. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the bloom has lasted 12 months so far.
It’s one of the longest blooms biologists have documented in nearly 80 years. The longest bloom FWC recorded was in the mid 90’s; it lasted for 2.5 years.
The second worst was back in 2002. It lasted about 20 months.
FWC also released a new red tide map on Wednesday.
The wind and ocean current are pushing the blooms around. First, it hit the beaches of Southwest Florida. It then traveled up the coast last month, extending for 135 miles and reaching Pinellas County.
Over the past week, more red tide blooms popped up in the Northwest. More recently red tide has been detected along the East Coast. Some scientists say the bloom in the Palm Beach County area may have been carried from the west coast around the southern tip of the state by currents.
FWC says the red tide has decreased but remains present in Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties.
If you swim in the ocean where the bloom is present, it can irritate your skin and eyes.
Any exposure to red tide can also cause respiratory problems including coughing and sneezing.
