INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A wind shift along with cooler temperatures expected later this week could possibly push the red tide bloom back into the ocean, emergency services officials said.
Red tide, a toxic algal bloom, spread to Indian River County last week, killing several thousands of fish and causing respiratory issues for people near beaches. Red tide caused officials to close all county beaches until further notice.
A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission map on Wednesday showed high and low levels of the algal bloom still present near the coastline. Emergency service workers are hoping the weather will change that this weekend.
The county will have northeast and east southeast winds Wednesday and Thursday. The winds will shift south starting Thursday night leading into Friday, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne.
Evening temperatures for the week are expected to be in the low 70s and high 60s.
“Wind shifts will be good to put (red tide) 20 to 40 miles back out from where it came from,” Indian River County Emergency Services Department Volunteer Ruth Killinger said. “Our waters have been hotter (recently). Cooling the water helps to reduce the effect of red tide. Red tide does not survive in cooler temperature waters.”
Weather forecasters predicted a 30 to 40 percent chance of rain for Thursday and Friday. Killinger said the rain will help to cleanse the air of toxins that cause coughing and eye irritation for those near the beach.
Red tide is caused by a naturally occurring microscopic alga called Karenia brevis, government officials said. Red tide may change the water color to red, light or dark green or brown.
Cleanup crews from Ceres Environmental Services – continued to remove the fish remains and other marine debris from the beach this week. Crews began canvassing the coastline last Saturday at Tracking Station Beach Park.
Front loaders were scooping up dead reef fish and seaweed and taking it to the county landfill on 74th Avenue.
Crews plan to remove 10 to 15,000 pounds of carcasses each day, emergency services officials said. The cleanup process will take place Monday through Saturday and should take about 20 days.
Residents should continue to stay away from beaches, emergency services officials said. Residents should not eat dead fish and should be cautious of any fish caught from the southeastern coast of Florida
Those who want more information on the red tide should contact the Indian River County Emergency Information Center at 772-226-4000. The center will take calls from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
