Midweek Red Tide Status Update (June 13, 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 Pinellas County, background to low concentrations in eight samples collected from Manatee County, very low to medium concentrations in 17 samples collected from Sarasota County, very low to medium concentrations in seven samples collected from Charlotte County, background to medium concentrations in seven samples collected from or offshore of Lee County, and very low to low concentrations in two samples collected from Collier 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 Sarasota County (Crescent Beach, Lido Beach, Lido Key, Manasota Beach, New Pass, Nokomis Beach, Siesta Key, Venice Beach, Venice North Jetty), Charlotte County (Don Pedro Island, Englewood Beach, Gasparilla Sound, Little Gasparilla Beach, Manasota Beach, Manasota Key, Palm Island, Stump Pass, Stump Pass Beach Park), and Lee County (Boca Grande Beach, Bowmans Beach, Captiva Island, Gasparilla Island Range Lighthouse, Redfish Pass). Respiratory irritation was reported over the past week in Sarasota (6/7-6/8 and 6/10-6/12 at Lido Key, 6/7-6/8 and 6/10-6/12 at Manasota Beach, 6/6-6/8 and 6/12 at Nokomis, 6/8 and 6/11–6/13 at Siesta Key, 6/6-6/13 at Venice Beach, 6/6–6/8 and 6/12 at Venice North Jetty) and Lee (6/6-6/8 and 6/11-6/13 at Gasparilla Island Range Lighthouse) counties.  

Forecasts by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides for Pinellas to northern Monroe counties predict southern transport followed by northern transport of surface waters in most areas and 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 Florida.