PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — In an image posted to a social media group on Facebook, you can see an aerial shot of dark, cloudy water moving across Boca Ciega Bay in Gulfport.
Pat Mottoli-Monnia posted the photo to warn her neighbors as this is what she saw from her high-rise condo at Townshores.
"This is disgusting! And scary," she wrote.
In a Facebook post, Pinellas County Environmental Management wrote,
A significant red tide bloom was reported in Boca Ciega Bay near Gulfport on 11/6/2018. A sample was collected in the area and high concentrations of the red tide organism were observed. Additional samples were collected in the area, the results will be published as soon as possible. Respiratory irritation is very strong in the area. Bloom photo by Pat Mottoli-Monnia. Microscope image by Pinellas County Environmental Management.
Here's the latest red tide updates from Pinellas County:
- Red Tide concentrations have increased along the south county beaches again. County water quality monitoring on Monday found high concentrations at Gulfport fishing pier, Pass-A-Grille, John’s Pass, Indian Rocks Beach (20th Avenue Parkway Bay), Treasure Island and, within the Intracoastal Waterway, at Keegan Clair Park and Belleair Beach City Hall.
- County cleanup operations Monday included the following resources:
- 22 inshore vessels worked from Belleair Causeway south to Tierra Verde within the Intracoastal Waterway and canals
- Two inshore shrimp vessels worked within the Intracoastal Waterway
- One boat assisted an aquatic weed harvester.
- 24 temporary laborers assisted on beach crews and as deck hands on the vessels
- 3 ATVs/UTVs assisted the beach hand crews.
- 3 beach rakes worked St. Pete Beach, Pass-A-Grille and Madeira Beach north to La Contessa Pier
- The National Weather Service predicts south-southwest winds through tonight and south-southeast winds Wednesday. USF’s current 5-day trajectory predicts a net southern movement of subsurface waters over the next three days. These conditions ensure that Red Tide impacts in Pinellas County will persist.
