Red tide concerns linger around Sarasota

As he briefed the City Commission on the effects of red tide around Sarasota, city Emergency Manager Todd Kerkering closed with a grim prognosis.

“Right now, it’s on its way back,” Kerkering said Monday.

The discussion was an opportunity to look back at the toll red tide has taken on Sarasota’s shores during the past eight weeks. Officials have observed improved conditions recently, including significantly fewer dead fish.

But the effects haven’t dissipated completely — and as a result, the city was also looking ahead to what challenges may still remain.

Between Aug. 20 and Dec. 1, the city estimates it will spend more than $290,000 on red tide debris removal. That includes about $130,000 on contract laborers and $75,000 on contracted service specifically to remove debris from the water. The city anticipates the Florida Department of Environmental protection will reimburse about $229,000 of that spending.

To date, crews have cleaned about 78 tons of fish and other debris from city shores, including 70 tons from Lido Key.

Commissioners were curious about the economic impact of red tide on city businesses, but officials have not collected that information. To date, red tide has caused a loss of $3.1 million in business countywide, according to a Visit Sarasota survey.

City Commissioner Shelli Freeland Eddie wanted to ensure the city was doing its best to publicize the resources available to local businesses that red tide has affected. Kerkering said the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and the U.S. Small Business Administration were both offering loans specifically tied to red tide.

City Commissioner Hagen Brody suggested the city could do more to encourage support of coastal businesses that have lost customers. He said he was specifically concerned about how red tide has affected workers at those businesses.

“While these loans are available, the tips aren’t coming in,” Brody said. “Shifts are getting cut.”

Residents on Siesta Key are also taking an interest in learning more about the ongoing red tide bloom. On Sept. 6, the Siesta Key Association hosted Tracy Fanara, the environmental health program manager for Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium. The Siesta group said it is interested in promoting long-term solutions for addressing red tide.

At the meeting, SKA members asked questions about the cause of the red tide bloom and potential mitigation strategies. Mote scientists have reminded residents that red tide is a naturally occurring phenomenon that develops miles offshore before drifting closer to coastlines. However, the severity of the ongoing bloom has been exacerbated by factors that include nutrients from human pollution that enters the water.

Fanara encouraged Siesta residents to download Mote’s Citizen Science Information Collaboration app onto their smartphones. With the program, residents can report the time and location of fish kills they observe or any experience of respiratory irritation.

Although officials are preparing to continue to deal with the effects of red tide in coming months, forecasting the path of the bloom is an inexact science. On one day, officials have seen large swaths of dead fish at certain sites. The next day, there could be nothing.

“It’s hit and miss,” Kerkering said. “I wish I knew.”