Red Tide Report (October 26, 2018)

Current Conditions
Bloom concentrations of the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, persist on Florida’s Southwest, Northwest, and East coasts. Patchiness was observed in each area. Additional details are provided below.

In Southwest Florida, relative to last week, K. brevis concentrations generally increased from northern Pinellas through Lee counties and decreased in parts of Collier and Monroe counties. Observations of >1,000,000 K. brevis cells per liter (“high” concentrations) occurred in Pinellas, Manatee, and northern Sarasota counties only, with “medium” K. brevis concentrations detected from Pinellas to northern Lee counties. For Northwest Florida, “high” concentrations of K. brevis were observed in Bay County, and “medium” concentrations occurred in Bay and Santa Rosa counties. On the East Coast, “high” concentrations of K. brevis occurred in samples from southern Brevard to northern St. Lucie counties, and medium concentrations occurred from southern Brevard to Martin counties. Relative to last week K. brevis concentrations generally increased from Brevard to Martin counties and decreased in areas of Broward County.  

• In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background to high concentrations in or offshore of Pinellas County, background to high concentrations in or offshore of Manatee County, very low to high concentrations in Sarasota County, very low to medium concentrations in Charlotte County, background to medium concentrations in or offshore of Lee County, background to very low concentrations in Collier County, and background to very low concentrations in or offshore of Monroe County. 
• In Northwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at low concentrations in Escambia County, medium concentrations in Santa Rosa County, background concentrations in Walton County, background to high concentrations in Bay County, and background concentrations in Pasco County. 
• Along the Florida East Coast over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in Volusia County, very low to high concentrations in Brevard County, background to high concentrations in Indian River County, background to high concentrations in St. Lucie County, background to medium concentrations in or offshore of Martin County, background to low concentrations in Palm Beach County, background to low concentrations in Broward County, and background to very low concentrations in or offshore of Miami-Dade County. 

In Southwest Florida, reports of fish kills were received for Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, and Collier counties. In Northwest Florida, reports of fish kills were received for Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, and Franklin counties. Along the East Coast of Florida, reports of fish kills were received for Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin counties.

Respiratory irritation was reported over the past week in Southwest Florida (in Pinellas, Manatee, and Sarasota counties). Respiratory irritation was also reported in Northwest Florida (in Okaloosa and Bay counties) and the Florida East Coast (in Brevard and St. Lucie counties). 

Forecasts by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides for Pinellas to northern Monroe counties predict net southern transport of surface waters and net southeastern movement of subsurface waters for most areas over the next three days. Three-day forecasts for Escambia to western Gulf counties predict variable surface currents with net southeastern transport, and northeastern movement of subsurface waters.

Please check our daily sampling map, which can be accessed via the online status report on our Red Tide Current Status page.

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.

Additional information regarding the current status of algal blooms in South Florida is being consolidated and posted on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s website: https://floridadep.gov/dear/algal-bloom.