SANIBEL, Fla. - Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has released water testing results that show some Red Tide is off the Southwest Florida coast.

The Red Tide is being detected in small levels. Background concentrations of the Florida Red Tide Organism were detected in a water sample from Lighthouse Beach on Sanibel Island.

Red Tide was not detected in any other parts of Sanibel or Lee County. Lee County Environmental Laboratory did the testing on Sanibel.

Red tide was also found near Cortez in Manatee County. All other water samples collected between Pinellas and Collier counties this week did not contain any Red Tide.

The last time Red Tide was detected in Southwest Florida was in December of 2007 at Barefoot Beach in Collier County.

Red Tide is a toxic algae that at low levels can cause possible respiratory irritation for people boating or on the beach. At high levels Red Tide can cause fish and manatee kills and water discoloration.

There is no official known cause of Red Tide.