Gulf County Board of County Commissioners funds St. Joseph Bay water sampling in response to red tide

GULF COUNTY, Fla. — On Tuesday, the Gulf County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approved funding for nutrient and bacteria sampling in St. Joseph Bay to help identify what may be contributing to the red tide affecting the area.

The County is partnering with the St. Andrew and St. Joseph Bays Estuary Program to collect samples Thursday, Oct. 29, at six sites around the bay. Testing will measure nitrogen and phosphorus, nutrients that can fuel algae blooms, and check for bacteria that can show whether pollution is coming from human sources or from cattle.

The BOCC will review the results as soon as they are available and use the findings to guide next steps for reducing pollution that can worsen blooms and for protecting the health of the bay.

Red tide health alerts

The Florida Department of Health in Gulf County (DOH-Gulf) has issued red tide health alerts for the following areas:

• Cape Palms Park, Gulf side of Cape San Blas
• Clifford G. Sims Memorial Park
• Country Club Road, Simmons Bayou

DOH-Gulf urges the public to use caution in and around these areas. Residents with questions about red tide and their health can call DOH-Gulf at 850-227-1276.

For updates, follow Gulf County on Facebook and Instagram at @gulfcountygov, and the Health Hub of Gulf and Franklin on Facebook.