Red tide numbers waning in Lee, Collier waters, still prevalent elsewhere in Gulf

The latest red tide to blanket Southwest Florida seems to be losing strength in Lee and Collier counties as the higher brevatoxin counts have been reported in the Tampa Bay area in recent days.

Background to medium levels of red tide (Karenia brevis) were reported across both counties to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the state agency charged with monitoring the deadly blooms.

Red tide occurs naturally in the eastern Gulf of Mexico but is fed by nutrients coming from farming operations and urbanized areas, science shows; and today blooms are stronger, longer in duration and more frequent than they were in the 1950s.

"They usually say October, November and December is the season, but now we’re pushing April and I’m wondering how much longer this could persist," Calusa Waterkeeper Emeritus John Cassani said.

Cold fronts and strong winds can break up red tide blooms, but this past winter has been quite mild, with only a handful of strong cold fronts making it to the region this year.