New outbreak of red tide shows up in northwest Florida

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. – Another part of Florida is dealing with an outbreak of the toxic algae bloom known as red tide.

Media outlets report that red tide has now showed up in northwest Florida. The Tallahassee Democrat reported that the outbreak apparently started sometime last week. The Panama City News Herald says thousands of fish have already washed up in Bay County.

The heaviest concentrations of red tide have shown up in Bay County, but there are predictions there could be an eastward shift.

Southwest Florida and the Tampa Bay area has been already been reeling from a massive outbreak that has killed tons of marine life.

Red tide is a natural occurrence that happens due to the presence of nutrients in salt water and an organism called a dinoflagellate.