 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
Back
|
Red Tide checked by winds for now
By ALICIA CALDWELL
© St. Petersburg Times, ST. PETERSBURG -- A swath of decomposing fish, thought to have been killed by an outbreak of Red Tide, largely is being kept off Pinellas County beaches by off shore winds, authorities said Thursday. The wind and current forecast through today would keep the noxious algae bloom and dead fish at sea, according to models developed by the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science. "But it could change in a minute," said Mike Maxemow, Madeira Beach community services director. "Our equipment is ready. If we have a problem, we'll go out and combat it." Water samples taken and tested Thursday show medium levels of the single cell organism off Pass-a-Grille and Redington Beach, said Earnest Truby, research scientist at St. Petersburg's Florida Marine Research Institute. Low levels were detected off Clearwater Beach's Pier 60. Scattered dead fish have been reported at various beaches, but not in significant quantity. FMRI also has gotten anecdotal reports from charter fishing captains who have seen patches of dead fish between 10 and 20 miles off shore. "We know there's been a fish kill off of Clearwater," said Beverly Roberts, FMRI research administrator. Researchers are monitoring the bloom, which started more than a month ago near Fort Myers and has crept north, leaving a swath of dead fish off Sarasota and Manatee counties. Outbreaks also can cause respiratory irritation in people -- particularly those who have asthma and emphysema. Beach tourism, already experiencing declines due to fears of terrorism, could suffer further if Red Tide comes ashore in full force. "It's not as if the tourist industry doesn't have enough problems now," Maxemow said. "We're at the mercy of the wind and the currents now."
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
Headlines From the Times local news desks |
