Red Tide Report 12-22-17

A bloom of the Florida red tide organism, Karenia brevis, persists along Charlotte and Lee counties in Southwest Florida.

In Southwest Florida, Karenia brevis was observed at background concentrations in two samples collected from Pinellas County, background to very low concentrations in three samples collected from Hillsborough County, very low concentrations in one sample collected from Sarasota County, background to medium concentrations in eleven samples collected from Charlotte County, background to medium concentrations in twenty-six samples collected from Lee County, and background concentrations in five samples collected from Collier County.

In Northwest Florida, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in one sample collected offshore of Franklin County. Additional samples collected throughout Florida over the past week did not contain K. brevis.

Fish kills were reported in Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties over the past week. Slight respiratory irritation was reported along Lee County on 12/17/17 and 12/21/17. Forecasts for Southwest Florida by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides predict net northwest transport of surface waters, and minimal movement of subsurface waters from Pinellas to Lee counties over the next three days.

Next week we will issue a full Red Tide Status Report on Thursday, December 28, 2017.

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.