For the first time in months, there were no reports this week of red tide in the coastal areas along Tampa Bay or Sarasota.
Blooms were found south of the region, off Sanibel Island and Fort Myers; and to the north, around Cedar Key in Levy County. Red Tide has drifted to the Florida Panhandle, around Apalachicola, Panama City Beach and Fort Walton Beach.
State environmental officials are reporting some blooms are still being found off the coast west of the Sarasota region, however.
Fish kills suspected to be related to red tide were reported during the past week in Manatee and Sarasota counties. Respiratory irritation was reported in beach communities in Manatee and Sarasota counties.
The following map is of reports of respiratory irritation along the coasts:
