A fish-killing bloom of red tide off the coast of Southwest Florida continues to deliver dead fish onto many beaches from Sarasota to Naples, seen here in Venice on Monday (November 14).

Scientists suspect this bout of red tide is due in part to flooding rains from Hurricane Ian washing nutrients from land into the Gulf of Mexico where it essentially fertilizes the algae that creates the toxic, fish-killing tide. Visitors to beaches impacted by red tide often experience itchy eyes and irritated lungs that causes them to cough. Scientists are not sure how long this red tide even will last, though they are concerned that it could be a while before it clears up.

A fish-killing bloom of red tide off the coast of Southwest Florida continues to deliver dead fish onto many beaches from Sarasota to Naples. Scientists suspect this bout of red tide is due in part to flooding rains from Hurricane Ian washing nutrients from land into the Gulf of Mexico where it essentially fertilizes the algae that creates the toxic, fish-killing tide. Visitors to beaches impacted by red tide often experience itchy eyes and irritated lungs that causes them to cough. Scientists are not sure how long this red tide even will last, though they are concerned that it could be a while before it clears up.