By JENNIFER HUDAK<\/p>\n
On Thursday, Miami-Dade County officials received notice that the red tide, a toxic algae bloom that has plagued the southwest coast of Florida, was found on parts of South Florida\u2019s East Coast beaches.<\/p>\n
In addition, residents and tourists have been warned to avoid the beach area as the King Tide, expected from Oct. 6-13, will push these toxic algae further inland.<\/p>\n
The red tide, which is caused by the bacteria Karenia brevis<\/em>, can cause respiratory issues in humans and kill fish. These fish then push onshore, creating a foul odor and unpleasant experience for beach-goers. Much of the southwest coast of Florida, spanning from Naples to St. Petersburg, has suffered major blows to their tourism industries.<\/p>\n Samples of water from Haulover Beach were taken in for lab testing. The results came back this week testing positive with a \u201cmedium concentration\u201d of algae found.<\/p>\n Other, smaller portions of algae were found in the water on Key Biscayne and Miami Beach, the numbers were not significant enough to close beaches.<\/p>\n Miami-Dade will be testing more beaches this week to assure that more locations haven\u2019t been impacted.<\/p>\n While officials can\u2019t confirm how the toxic algae made its way to the East Coast, scientists assume small portions of it were carried through the ocean\u2019s current.<\/p>\n The red tide could take anywhere from a week to many months to leave an area depending on weather factors such as wind, tide and temperature conditions.<\/p>\n For now, residents and tourists with severe respiratory issues or other health concerns are advised to avoid the beach areas affected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By JENNIFER HUDAK On Thursday, Miami-Dade County officials received notice that the red tide, a toxic algae bloom that has plagued the southwest coast of Florida, was found on parts of South Florida\u2019s East Coast beaches. In addition, residents and … Continue reading