Midweek Red Tide Status Update (April 18, 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 Manatee County, background to low concentrations in six samples collected from Charlotte County, very low to medium concentrations in nine samples collected from Lee County, background to low concentrations in nine samples collected from Collier County, and very low concentrations in three samples collected from or offshore of Monroe County.

In Northwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in three samples collected from Bay County and one sample collected from Gulf 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 (4/11 – 4/14 and 4/16 - 4/17 at Bonita Beach; 4/13 at Ft. Myers Beach; 4/16 – 4/17 at Gasparilla Island; 4/13 at Knapps Point; 4/11 and 4/16 – 4/17 at Lighthouse Beach; 4/11, 4/13, and 4/15 – 4/18 at Lovers Key; 4/13 at Nerita Beach; 4/11 near New Pass; 4/11- 4/12 and 4/15 – 4/17 at Newton Park; 4/13 at Sanibel Beach; 4/11 at Sanibel Island; 4/16 – 4/17 in Tarpon Bay), and Collier (4/12 – 4/14 and 4/16 – 4/17 at Barefoot Beach; 4/11 near Delnor-Wiggins State Park and at Vanderbilt Beach).

Respiratory irritation was reported over the past week in Lee (4/11 -  4/14 at Bonita Beach; 4/11 at Lovers Key; 4/12 at Newton Park) and Collier (4/14 and 4/16 at Barefoot Beach; 4/12 and 4/16 at South Marco Beach; 4/11 – 4/12 at Vanderbilt Beach) counties.

Forecasts by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides for Pinellas to northern Monroe counties predict net southern, offshore transport of surface waters and net southern, 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 Florid