Midweek Red Tide Status Update (August 22, 2018)

A bloom of the Florida red tide organism, Karenia brevis, persists in Southwest Florida and currently extends along ~145 miles of coastline. Observations of >1,000,000 K. brevis cells per liter (“high” concentrations) continue to occur at coastal and inshore sites from Manatee to northern Collier counties, with most areas showing comparable or slightly increased cell concentrations relative to last week.  K. brevis was observed in Pinellas County for the third week in a row, with additional impacted sites (based on observations of cells and/or associated impacts) and higher cell concentrations observed relative to last week. Aerial surveys from Manatee to northern Charlotte counties indicated the presence of offshore blooms of the marine cyanobacterium, Trichodesmium. Reports of fish kills were received for multiple locations in Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties. Respiratory irritation was reported over the past week in Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Lee, and Collier counties.

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 net southeastern transport of subsurface waters over the next three days. The next complete red tide status report will be posted on Friday, August 24^th.

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.