NAPLES, Fla. — Tests are underway to determine whether red tide is the cause of death for hundreds of fish that washed ashore.
WINK-TV reports the beach near the Verado Way access smells quite familiar, similar to the stench that gripped much of Florida's Gulf Coast shoreline during the 2017-18 red tide outbreak.
The beach also reportedly has a sign up, warning visitors of red tide.
A water sample taken Sept. 30 determined there was a low concentration of the red tide causing organism, Karenia brevis, located near the Naples Pier. Additional samples farther north in the Naples Park and Bonita Springs area revealed medium concentrations. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported the sample on its website.
WINK says the county plans to test the conditions and monitor the winds over the next several days.
Red tide, a type of harmful algal bloom, naturally occurs almost every summer in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. However, the recent outbreak is believed to have been worsened by human activity, including nutrient pollution runoff.
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