BRADENTON, Fla. (SNN) - Horseback riding along Palma Sola Bay has been a popular tourist attraction for years. But this month, those rides are on hold — as scientists and advocates try to determine whether horses are contributing to high bacteria levels in the water.

DNA testing sparks pause

The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP), in partnership with Suncoast Waterkeeper, recently conducted advanced DNA testing along the Palma Sola Causeway. The results detected horse DNA at multiple sites — but only in trace amounts too small to quantify.

Weekly water sampling from Suncoast Waterkeeper has also shown bacteria spikes in Palma Sola Bay. Executive Director Abbey Tyrna says horses are “part of the problem,” but there’s no scientific way to measure what percentage they contribute.

“There

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