In an ugly development, red tide — which was all but gone a couple weeks ago — has made an unwelcome reappearance along the beaches from Venice to Englewood. The algae bloom, which caused significant fish kills in October and has been found in patches both inshore and offshore since then, is suspected of killing a number of mullet and pinfish found washed ashore last week on Don Pedro Island. Of course, when dead mullet show up during the mullet run, netters are always suspect, but in this case red tide has also been implicated by discolored water.

Red tide-tainted water also drove beachgoers away in Venice, where, according to the Dec. 28 report by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission researchers, red tide concentrations are high. Red tide was also found in medium concentrations inside Sarasota Bay and at Englewood Beach. But don’t feel like nature is just picking on us — similar amounts of red tide were found in Lee County at Tarpon Road Beach, Lighthouse Beach and Lynn Hall Park.