Even though recent water quality tests have not been detecting nutrients of the Piney Point wastewater spill, researchers believe current red tide and cyanobacteria blooms across Tampa Bay are likely being exacerbated by the nutrients which still exist in the bay's ecosystems.
Red tide is a major concern for those living on Florida’s West Coast and now the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has detected low to medium levels of red tide algae off Pinellas County from Indian Rocks Beach all the way down to Fort De Soto. With summer around the corner, business owners are concerned about what red tide will mean for them.
Elevated levels of Red Tide were detected in water samples taken from parts of Tampa Bay. Now Hillsborough County health officials are advising people against swimming in certain areas. Medium concentrations of Red Tide were detected in four samples from June 1 and June 2 pulled around Port Manatee in lower Tampa Bay, according to a map from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation .