With wildlife officials reporting the continued presence of red tide algae lingering offshore, Ralph Montgomery’s talk tonight at the Lemon Bay Conservancy meeting on toxic algae couldn’t be more timely.

According to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report Friday, medium to high concentrations of red tide — Karina brevis — were detected in water samples last week offshore of Charlotte County. Specifically, low concentrations were collected off Englewood Beach Wednesday, medium to low concentrations off Thornton Key, medium to high concentrations off Gasparilla Island and high to low concentrations in Boca Grande. No traces of the toxic algae were detected at Ponce de Leon Park in Punta Gorda.