Current Conditions
Over the past week, the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was detected in 79 samples along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/liter) were present in 18 samples: 12 in and offshore of Pinellas County, two in Manatee County, and four in Collier County. We continue to use satellite imagery (USF and NOAA NCCOS) to help track this event. Additional details are provided below.
- In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background to high concentrations in and offshore of Pinellas County, very low to medium concentrations in Manatee County, background to low concentrations in Sarasota County, very low and low concentrations in Charlotte County, low concentrations in Lee County, background to high concentrations in and offshore of Collier County, and low concentrations offshore of Monroe County.
- In Northwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background and very low concentrations in Gulf County, and very low concentrations in Pasco County.
- Along the Florida East Coast over the past week, K. brevis was not observed.
Reports of fish kills suspected to be related to red tide were received along the Florida Gulf Coast over the past week from Pasco, Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Lee, and Collier counties. For more details, please visit https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/health/fish-kills-hotline and https://visitbeaches.org.
Over the past week, respiratory irritation suspected to be related to red tide was reported via the Beach Conditions Reporting System and/or the Fish Kill Hotline along the Florida Gulf Coast in Pasco, Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Lee, and Collier counties. For recent and current information at individual beaches, please visit https://visitbeaches.org and for forecasts that use FWC and partner data, please visit https://habforecast.gcoos.org.
Forecasts by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides for Pinellas County to northern Monroe County predict net northwestern movement of surface waters in most areas and variable transport of subsurface waters over the next 3.5 days.
The next status report will be issued on Wednesday, March 22nd. Please check our daily sampling map, which can be accessed via the online status report on our Red Tide Current Status page. For more information on algal blooms and water quality, please visit Protecting Florida Together.
This information, including maps and reports with additional details, is also available on the FWRI Red Tide website. The website also provides links to additional information related to the topic of Florida red tide including satellite imagery, experimental red tide forecasts, shellfish harvesting areas, the FWC Fish Kill Hotline, the Florida Poison Information Center (to report human health effects related to exposure to red tide), and other wildlife related hotlines.
To learn more about various organisms that have been known to cause algal blooms in Florida waters, see the FWRI Red Tide Flickr page. Archived status maps can also be found on Flickr.
The FWRI HAB group in conjunction with Mote Marine Laboratory now have a Facebook page. Please like our page and learn interesting facts concerning red tide and other harmful algal blooms in Florida.
