Dead fish stench: Red tide worsens along Sarasota and Manatee beaches

The familiar stench of dead fish is back in the air in parts of Sarasota County as a red-tide bloom that has plagued Southwest Florida since Hurricane Ian continues to worsen, and fish and other sea life are beginning to wash ashore.

The massive red tide bloom first took hold off the shores of Sarasota County in the weeks following Hurricane Ian in the same communities also most impacted by the Category 4 storm.

Dead fish have dotted the scattered shorelines of waterfront parks, beaches and boat ramps throughout the region.

On Thursday, winds had blown recently deceased fish to Ken Thompson Park and beaches like Lido. City of Sarasota officials said they are monitoring the site, along with many other areas throughout the city, for potential cleanup operations — although the amount of dead fish has not yet met the required threshold to do so.