Levy said the county began seeing red tide effects on area beaches June 16, before it began dissipating around June 28. When Tropical Storm Elsa impacted the Pinellas coast July 6, it pushed the harmful algal blooms back onshore and into the Tampa Bay and area waterways. After inundating the bay, the red tide has now moved back along the coast. In less than two months, more than 1,823 tons of dead fish and debris have been removed – or over 3,650,000 pounds.

“Kudos to our Solid Waste Department because they accepted all of it regardless of where it was coming from,” said Levy.