Red Tide Status Update: 2/12/25

Over the past week, red tide was detected in 65 samples collected from Southwest Florida. Bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/liter) were observed in 20 samples: one from Sarasota County, one from Charlotte County, 17 from Lee County, and one from Collier County.

We continue to use chlorophyll satellite imagery (USF, NOAA NCCOS) to track offshore patches suspected to contain K. brevis. Based on satellite imagery from February 10-11, chlorophyll patches persist along and offshore of Charlotte, Lee, Collier, and Monroe counties. In comparison with prior weeks, chlorophyll patches have moved further northward and decreased somewhat in intensity.

Additional details are provided below.

• In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in Pinellas County, background to low concentrations in Manatee County, background to medium concentrations in both Sarasota and Charlotte counties, background to high concentrations in Lee County, and very low to medium concentrations in Collier County.
• In Northwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was not observed.
• Along the Florida East Coast over the past week, K. brevis was not observed.

Fish kills suspected to be related to red tide were reported to FWC’s Fish Kill Hotline and other partners over the past week for Southwest Florida (Lee, Collier, and Monroe counties). 

Respiratory irritation suspected to be related to red tide was reported over the past week in Southwest Florida (Lee, Collier, and Monroe counties). For forecasts that use FWC and partner data, please visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Gulf of Mexico Harmful Algal Blooms Forecast.

Forecasts by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides for Pinellas County to northern Monroe County over the next 3.5 days predict northwestern to northern movement of surface waters in most areas and variable transport of subsurface waters.

The next status report will be issued on Friday, February 14. Please check our daily sampling map, which can be accessed via the online status report on our Red Tide Current Status page. For more information on algal blooms and water quality, please visit Protecting Florida Together.

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.       

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