Red Tide Status Update: August 14, 2026

Over the past week, the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was observed in 20 samples collected along Florida’s East Coast and at background concentrations in one sample from Northwest Florida. Bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/liter) were present for the first time this season in two samples from Duval County. We continue to use satellite imagery (USF and NOAA NCCOS) to help track nearshore and offshore conditions. 

Additional details follow.

• In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was not observed.
• In Northwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in one sample from Pasco County.
• Along the Florida East Coast over the past week, K. brevis was observed at very low to low concentrations in Nassau County, very low to medium concentrations in Duval County, and very low concentrations in St. Johns County.

No Fish kills suspected to be related to red tide were reported to FWC's Fish Kill Hotline or other partners over the past week.

Respiratory Irritation suspected to be related to red tide was not reported over the past week in Florida. For forecasts that use FWC and partner data, please visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Gulf Coast Harmful Algal Blooms Forecast.

Short-term (3.5 day) forecasts by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides predict net southern movement of surface and subsurface waters in most areas from Pinellas to northern Monroe counties.

The next status report will be issued on Friday, August 21. 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.

Please follow our facebook page for status updates and other interesting facts about red tide and other harmful algal blooms in Florida