Red Tide

Red tide had been present along the Gulf coast since shortly after Hurricane Ian swept ashore in the Fort Myers area.

A pair of sea turtles found dazed and confused by red tide toxins in Sarasota County in February were returned to the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday after being nursed back to health.

Red tide has been a scourge of the Gulf Coast since Hurricane Ian struck Collier and Lee counties last year. It has finally dissipated from much of the area.

Researchers call it ‘sea sawdust,’ and it has a friendly relationship with the organism that causes red tide.

But red tide is still lingering along southern Sarasota County.

Medium amounts of red tide are still being reported in southern Sarasota County.

But the toxin is all but gone from the Pinellas beaches - for now.

Red tide is sticking around parts of the Pinellas and Sarasota coastlines.

Red tide is almost gone from the Pinellas beaches, but is getting worse in southern Sarasota County.

But red tide was reported for the first time this season off the Big Bend area in northern Florida.

Red tide is still hanging around beaches in central Pinellas County. And while it has retreated from most Sarasota beaches, it's still present in the south of the county.

Heavy concentrations of the toxin were reported this week at Treasure Island Beach.