Red tide is blooming. Many in the Clearwater area have expressed concern for red tide conditions. Red tide is a type of algae that blooms when there are excessive amounts of fertilizer runoff or sewage being flushed into the ocean. In severe cases, red tide can cause water discoloration and respiratory issues when near or in the ocean. Red tide can be poisonous to both humans and marine life. When the red tide is bad, marine life like fish can be found dead- washed up on shore. Ava Dardovski is a ninth grader and lives on the beach. When she went to the beach, she saw many dead animals on the shore. Upon seeing the many dead fish on the shore, she “felt sick.” She also had common symptoms of red tide like “coughing and teary eyes.” Keiran Reinstein, an ninth grader, says she too has been affected by red tide. She says it has been hard for her to “be able to go outside, or maybe go to the beach.” This is due to the “aroma” of the decaying animals in and out of the water. Keiran also has friends that live on the beach, and it was “hard for them to walk outside their houses.”