Harmless algae surfaces along Key shore

If were out for a stroll along Longboat Key’s Gulf beaches over the weekend, you may have been alarmed by patches of brown gunk on the sand.

According to residents who emailed the Longboat Observer, it wasn’t pleasant to look at — or smell.

But the good news is, it isn’t related to red tide or the BP oil spill nor is it the result of a boater dumping sewage into the water.

The sticky brown substance is a harmless algae that can resemble oil and appears for a couple of days to a week each year, after water temperatures warm up, according to Nick Azzara, Manatee County information coordinator.

“Every year our natural resources department gets inundated with calls, emails and photos from curious beachgoers who want to know what that stuff is, suspecting that it could be algal bloom or oil,” Azzara said. “It’s the result of the Gulf waters growing warmer with the weather.

Longboat Key Public Works Director Juan Florensa said that the town received phone calls over the weekend about the substance.

“It’s not harmful and certainly it is not red tide,” he said. “We have this every couple of years, and some years it’s worse than others.”

The growth typically moves with the tide and wind, meaning that its location is constantly changing.

Most reports to the county came from Longboat Key, according to Azzara. Other news outlets reported that the algae was also observed along the shores of Anna Maria Island.