Cold fronts keeping red tide offshore for now

MATLACHA, Fla. — Over the past several months, you might have seen a health alert issued for your local beach for red tide.

Red tide has been blooming off our coastline for nearly four months now, but we haven’t seen those major impacts one typically associates with the blooms.

Fox 4 Meteorologist Andrew Shipley went to find out the answers about what is going on off our coastline and if we should be concerned in the months ahead.

“We are seeing it rise in severity, then bumping back down,” said Capt. Codty Pierce, the Calusa Waterkeeper.

Despite loitering off coastline, red tide hasn't truly shown its ugly head...at least not yet. Pierce says consistent cold fronts are a major reason why.

“It has absolutely saved our butt,” said Pierce. “Today, we are out here, day two I think after the cold front. We have a strong northeast breeze. All of this is helping keep any bit of aerosolized offshore.”

But when winds have turned to out of the southwest winds, we have seen health alerts issued by local health departments.

That is also when we have seen minor fish kills, including one in Boca Grande Pass.

“It’s indicating to me that the red tide is probably most active up top of the water column,” said Pierce. “So thankfully, it doesn’t look to be affecting those bottom species, like the snappers and groupers that we count on.”

The seasonally cold water also is keeping fish species, like snook and redfish, in the back water estuaries and away from the red tide.

But what happens when those waters start warming up?

“February, to me, would be the telltale sign, because if we continue to get very cold weather, if this activity is not hindered, then I think we have a problem,” said Pierce.

But the fact that the bloom has lingered for four months has Pierce's radar u as he sees some similarities to the 2018 super bloom.

“The duration, especially as we look toward Spring,” said Pierce. “The increase photo period and warm temperatures. We are definitely taking notes and trying to see what is going to happen.”