Red Tide Status Update: March 22, 2024

The red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was observed at background concentrations in two samples collected from Southwest Florida over the past week. We continue to use satellite imagery (USF and NOAA NCCOS) to help track nearshore and offshore conditions. Additional details are provided below.

• In Southwest Florida over the past week,  K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in two samples collected from and offshore of Sarasota County. For additional information, view the Southwest Coast report and map.
• In Northwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was not observed. For additional information, view the Northwest Coast report and map.
• Along the Florida East Coast over the past week, K. brevis was not observed. For additional information, view the East Coast report and map.

No reports of fish kills suspected to be related to red tide were received over the past week. For more details, please visit https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/health/ and https://visitbeaches.org/.

Respiratory irritation was not reported in Florida over the past week. For recent and current information at individual beaches, please visit https://visitbeaches.org/ and for forecasts that use FWC and partner data, please visit https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/science-areas/habs/hab-forecasts/gulf-of-mexico/.

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

The next status report will be issued on Friday, March 29^th. 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.       

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.