Red tide has been detected at Stump Pass in Englewood. The algae bloom has caused a fish kill on the beach noticeable last week.

More than seven tons of dead fish have been scooped from Sarasota County beaches in just two days, as a persistent bloom of toxic red tide algae plagues the coastline.

The bloom is mostly lingering offshore of Charlotte Harbor, but patches of the algae also have been found as far south as Lee County and as far north as Manatee. Although dead fish have washed ashore as far north as Casey Key, the epicenter of the carnage is Manasota Key, which is shared by Charlotte and Sarasota counties.

The bloom began affecting the region last week and is the first since 2007 to have wide-ranging and lingering impacts. Red tide wreaked havoc in Southwest Florida around this time last year, but reports of dead fish were spotty.

The good news is that winds should begin to blow the bloom and the dead fish offshore in the coming days, said Jason Lenes, research associate at the University of South Florida.

EARLIER: A lingering red tide bloom is continuing to deposit dead fish on the county's southern beaches, making beach days from Nokomis south less than pleasant.

Dead fish were reported on Nokomis Beach, Venice North Jetty Beach and Venice Beach. Several dead fish were reported on Manasota Key beaches. County staff are cleaning up the fish.

The only beach where red tide was strong enough to cause reports of moderate respiratory irritation was the Venice North Jetty Beach.

Sarasota County health officials advised pet owners that red tide can also affect dogs brought to the beach.

Mote Marine Laboratory's beach conditions report is updated at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily. Reports can be viewed online at http://www.mote.org/beaches. Residents and visitors can also register to receive email reports about specific beaches. For telephone updates, call 941-BEACHES and press 1 for Sarasota County beaches.

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Red tide fish kill hits South County beaches