"It's out there in various densities," he said. "It's getting up there to medium, high levels now."

"Bunche Beach would have high enough salinity to support Karenia (red tide)," Cassani said. "The systemic effects of the lingering red tide after devastation by Hurricane Ian are just really nightmarish consideration." Cassani doesn't see a short-term solution to mitigating red tide for several reasons, including the extent of it already here. "The bloom moves around with the wind, the current, the tide," he said. He says there could be long-term mitigation efforts.