Midweek Red Tide Status Update (March 28, 2018)

 A 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 Sarasota County, low concentrations in one sample collected from Charlotte County, very low to medium concentrations in 13 samples collected from or offshore of Lee County, and low to high concentrations in six samples collected from Collier County.

In Northwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in two samples collected from Bay County.

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

Over the past week, fish kills were reported in the following Southwest Florida counties: Lee (3/21 – 3/23 at Bonita Beach, 3/23 at Bowman’s Beach, 3/21 – 3/23 and 3/26 – 3/27 at Gasparilla Island Range Lighthouse), and Collier (3/21 – 3/22 at Barefoot, South Marco, and Vanderbilt beaches; 3/23 at Naples Beach). Respiratory irritation was reported over the past week in Sarasota (3/23 at Nokomis Beach), Lee (3/21 – 3/22 and 3/25 at Bonita Beach, 3/21 – 3/23 and 3/26 at Gasparilla Island Range Lighthouse), and Collier (3/21 – 3/22 at Barefoot and South Marco beaches, 3/21 at Seagate Beach, 3/21 – 3/23 and 3/27 at Vanderbilt Beach) counties.

Forecasts by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides for Pinellas to northern Monroe counties predict net northern transport of surface waters and minimal net movement 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.