x
Breaking News
More () »

Palm Beach, Miami-area beaches close for red tide concerns

Florida's east coast no longer is immune from red tide, with several concentrations measured from the Miami area northward.

MIAMI -- Elevated levels of toxic algae linked to red tide forced county officials to close all Palm Beach County beaches and several Miami-area beaches.

The red tide organism ravaging the Gulf Coast found its way to the Atlantic side this week, with several water samples containing low-to-medium concentrations.

As a precaution, Miami-Dade County officials closed all public beaches north of Haulover Inlet until further notice. Lab tests confirmed concentrations in Miami Beach, Crandon Park and Haulover Park, according to WFOR-TV.

"We are taking this proactive step to ensure our residents and visitors are not affected as we collect samples in other areas for state testing," Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez said in a tweet.

"We will continue to seek guidance from the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission [FWC] and take precautionary measures as warranted."

CBS News reported all Palm County beaches are closed by red tide as well.

More: Researchers to study how far inland red tide toxins can travel

FWC reports low-to-medium red tide concentrations on Florida's east coast, in addition to medium-to-high concentrations persisting along the central and southwest Florida coastline. It's suspected water currents, including the Gulf Stream, helped to transport the higher concentrations from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean.

Video: Ocean currents transport red tide to Florida's Atlantic coast

Scientists on Wednesday provided an all-new look of the red tide organism, called K. brevis, as it appears under a microscope.

►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10News app now.

Have a news tip? Email desk@wtsp.com, or visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.

Before You Leave, Check This Out