Red Tide Status Report (June 22, 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 two samples collected from or offshore of Pinellas County, background to low concentrations in four samples collected from Manatee County, low to high concentrations in thirty-one samples collected from Sarasota County, very low to medium concentrations in three samples collected from Charlotte County, background to medium concentrations in two samples collected from Lee County, and very low to low concentrations in six 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 Pinellas County (Caladesi Island), Sarasota County (Caspersen Beach, Crescent Beach, Lido Key, Little Sarasota Bay, Manasota Beach, Nokomis Beach, Service Beach, Siesta Key, Turtle Beach, Venice Beach, Venice North Jetty), Charlotte County (Gasparilla Sound, Stump Pass Beach), Lee County (Boca Grande Beach, Gasparilla Island Beach, Gasparilla Island Range Lighthouse), and Collier County (Big Marco Pass, Factory Bay, South Marco Island). Respiratory irritation was reported over the past week in Manatee County (6/15 and 6/22 at Coquina Beach), Sarasota County (6/14-6/15, 6/19 at Lido Key; 6/16 and 6/19-6/21 at Manasota Beach; 6/15-6/19 and 6/21 at Nokomis; 6/15-6/17 and 6/20-6/21 at Siesta Key; 6/14-6/17 and 6/19-6/21 at Venice Beach; 6/15-6/21 at Venice North Jetty), Charlotte County (6/18 at Caspersen Beach), and Lee County (6/14-6/15 and 6/19-6/21 at Gasparilla Island Range Lighthouse).  

 

Forecasts by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides for Pinellas to northern Monroe counties predict net southern 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 Florida.