Tampa Bay Wildlife Faces Red Tide Threat

An outbreak of toxic red tide algae along Florida’s west coast has spread into Tampa Bay, threatening the estuary’s wildlife.

Water samples collected last week showed the highest levels of the organism since 1974, when a red tide bloom killed marine life in a wide part of the bay, said Tom Cardinale, head of the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission.

“It’s at a dangerous concentration that would normally cause major fish kills,” Cardinale said.

Dead fish have been found in areas hardest hit by the algae, although not yet in the numbers expected, he said.

Shellfish, which absorb the algae as food, become toxic and are closed to harvest during a bloom.