ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Water conditions at most Pinellas County beaches have shown signs of improvement with lower concentrations of red tide being reported, the county said Wednesday afternoon.
Medium to high concentrations of the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, have been measured in recent water samples taken at Ft. DeSoto Gulf Pier and Ft. DeSoto Bay Pier. This isn't too much of a surprise, the county said, given higher levels of red tide in Tampa Bay.
Along the Gulf of Mexico coastline, low concentrations have been measured at Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, Clearwater Beach and Honeymoon Island, with very low levels elsewhere. This is a big improvement from just a couple of weeks ago when many of these beach hotspots were in the medium-to-high range.
There remain red tide blooms in the Intracoastal Waterway, but officials said there are no major issues at this time.
The good news comes as the region braces for an influx of tourists for the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Lower concentrations of red tide in an area aren't likely to cause much in the way of respiratory irritation to beachgoers, whereas high levels could spur some intense coughing and other breathing issues.
With a persistent east wind, red tide is forecast to largely keep away from the coastline, according to the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science. The region's weather pattern will shift into the weekend with more so of an onshore wind, which could keep patchy red tide blooms closer to shore.
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