Red tide still firmly entrenched along Southwest Florida coast

Red tide count remain high along most of the Southwest Florida coast, even in the wake of winds from Tropical Storm Gordon. 

A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report released Friday shows levels of 1 million cells per liter and higher along the Lee County coast. 

Collier waters tested relatively clean of the toxin. 

The bloom started in October but has been particularly bad since June. 

Nearly 1,000 stranded and dead sea turtles have died in Southwest Florida since November, according to Florida Wildlife Research Institute records. 

Millions of pounds of dead marine life has been collected from Lee County beaches and shorelines this summer. 

More:Millions of pounds of dead fish have washed up on our beaches. This is what happens to them next

Numbers in recent months have largely been at or above 1 million cells per liter along the Lee County coast. 

At times the bloom has stretched from the Tampa Bay area to Marco Island. 

But counts started to improve in the Sanibel area this week, with some beaches dropping from several million cells per liter to 40,000 or below. 

More:Rescue network saves sick manatees, sea turtles from toxic red tide

Fish kills and respiratory issues in humans can start when levels reach 10,000 cells per liter, according to the FWC. 

Connect with this reporter: Chad Gillis on Twitter.