Midweek Red Tide Status Update (February 28, 2018)

A patchy bloom of the Florida red tide organism, Karenia brevis, persists in Southwest Florida.

In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in one sample collected from Pinellas County, very low to medium concentrations in thirteen samples collected from or offshore of Lee County, and background to very low concentrations in three samples collected from Collier County.

Additional samples collected throughout Florida over the past week did not contain K. brevis.

More than 20 fish kill reports were received for Lee County; areas impacted include Big Carlos Pass (2/26 – 2/27), Big Hickory Island, Bonita Beach, Fort Myers Beach (2/27), Pine Island Sound (2/22 and 2/26), Carlos Point (2/26), and Bunche Beach (2/22). Fish kills were also reported in Collier County at Barefoot Beach (2/27), and offshore of Monroe County, by Red Bay Bank (2/21). Respiratory irritation was reported in Lee County at Lovers Key State Park (2/26 – 2/27), Causeway Islands (2/26), and Bowman’s Beach (2/25), and in Collier County at Barefoot Beach (2/27). Forecasts by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides for Pinellas to Monroe counties predict minimal net transport of surface waters and net onshore transport of subsurface waters over the next three days

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.