FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla.-- Stone Crab season starts on Tuesday as red tide looms along the coast in Southwest Florida.
Florida Fish and Wildlife released a map on Friday that showed no traces of red tide in some areas. However, certain areas near Marco Island are seeing high concentrations of red tide.
The stone crab industry took a tough blow last season due to red tide in the water. Experts said the industry pulls in about $31 million annually.
Another dip in numbers wouldn't just impact crabbers but also the consumers across the country.
Mote Marine Lab looked deeper into the connection between the blooms and stone crab season back in May.
Their study showed bloom intensity matters with high concentrations being 100% deadly to stone crab larvae. While medium concentrations were 30% deadly to stone crab larvae.
Reports showed there has been a decline in harvested claws since 2015, totaling at 200,000 thousand pounds.
