Red Tide Report (November 2, 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 southern Pinellas through Charlotte counties, excluding Hillsborough County. Observations of >1,000,000 K. brevis cells per liter (“high” concentrations) occurred in Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, and Charlotte counties and offshore of Manatee and Collier counties. In Northwest Florida, up to “medium” concentrations of K. brevis were observed in and/or offshore of Escambia, Okaloosa, Bay and Gulf counties. On the East Coast, “high” concentrations of K. brevis were found in Brevard County only, in one sample; up to medium concentrations occurred only in Brevard and Martin counties. Relative to last week K. brevis concentrations generally decreased from Brevard through St. Lucie counties, and increased in parts of Martin County.

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

Fish Kills
In Southwest Florida, reports of fish kills were received for Pinellas, Manatee, and Sarasota counties. In Northwest Florida, reports of fish kills were received for Okaloosa and Walton counties. Along the East Coast of Florida, reports of fish kills were received for Brevard, Indian River, Martin and Palm Beach counties.

Respiratory Irritation
Respiratory irritation was reported over the past week in Southwest Florida (in Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, and Lee counties). Respiratory irritation was also reported in Northwest Florida (in Escambia and Okaloosa counties).

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

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.