Midweek Red Tide Status Update (May 2, 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 offshore of Manatee County, background concentrations in one sample collected from Sarasota County, background to low concentrations in five samples collected from or offshore of Charlotte County, background to high concentrations in 34 samples collected from or offshore of Lee County, and very low to high concentrations in 12 samples collected from Collier County.

In Northwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in 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 Southwest Florida in Lee County (at Bonita Beach, the Causeway Islands, Fort Myers Beach, Lighthouse Beach, Lovers Key State Park, Lynn Hall Beach Park and Newton Park) and Collier County (at Barefoot Beach, Gordon Pass, Loudermilk Beach, Pelican Bay Foundation Beach, Seagate Beach, South Marco Beach and Vanderbilt Beach). Respiratory irritation was reported over the past week in Lee County (4/25 - 4/29 at Bonita Beach; 4/25 – 4/26 and 5/2 at Lovers Key; 4/27 at Lynn Hall Beach Park) and Collier County (4/25 and 4/27 – 4/28 at Barefoot Beach; 4/26 and 4/30 at Seagate Beach; 4/25 and 4/29 at Vanderbilt Beach).

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