Red tide continues to reign Bradenton beaches in January

Around this time last year, a pesky bout of red tide irritated Manatee County’s shores.

In mid-February 2016, the Karenia brevis phytoplankton accumulated in medium levels, or at 100,000 to 1 million cells per liter. Two months later, it came back. Typically, red tide season is from late summer to early fall.

But as recent as this past weekend, red tide was apparent up and down Anna Maria Island.

If the rough winds on Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach Saturday didn’t faze beachgoers, the coughing, itchy eyes and dead fish sprinkled on the shore could have done the trick.

The lifeguard stand at Holmes Beach acknowledged that, yes, there was red tide at the beach, but it wasn’t in large enough amounts to be harmful. The sound of throat-clearing peppered the beach, but the wind’s roar drowned out most of the noise.