Two environmentally safe, plant-based agents were used recently to kill red tide in southern Sarasota County, officials at Mote Marine Laboratory said Thursday.
The experiments marked the first time the tools were used outside of the lab after about six years of development.
The agents are called Xtreme, from Heartland Energy Group, and Clear, developed by Mote.
The field experiments were effective in reducing Karenia brevis, the organism that causes the fish kills that have been spreading off Sarasota lately.
"A 70% kill rate of the Karenia brevis, that's a win for us," said Kevin Claridge, a vice president at Mote Marine Laboratory.
Lab experiments had showed a higher kill rate for the agents, but real-life scenarios are different.
"We do think this is a success. You're stepping out of the lab and moving into the field environment with additional new variables," he added.
Red tide is no longer in the two canals that were treated in Venice, according to Mote.
More field tests are expected in the coming weeks.
A third technology, called Ozonix, which uses a process of creating bubbles to kill red tide without chemicals, should be available for use soon, Claridge said.
