Red Tide Conditions – 2.25.23
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
Current Conditions
Over the past week, the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was detected in 123 samples from and offshore of Southwest Florida. Bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/liter) were present in 75 samples: two in Pinellas County, seven in and offshore of Manatee County, 27 in and offshore of Sarasota County, seven in and offshore of Charlotte County, 22 in and offshore of Lee County, nine in and offshore of Collier County, and one offshore of Monroe County. We continue to use satellite imagery (USF and NOAA NCCOS) to help track this patchy event (see report map for imagery from 2/23). Additional details are provided below.
- In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at very low to medium concentrations in Pinellas County, very low to medium concentrations in and offshore of Manatee County, background to high concentrations in and offshore of Sarasota County, low to high concentrations in and offshore of Charlotte County, background to high concentrations in and offshore of Lee County, very low to high concentrations in and offshore of Collier County, and background to medium concentrations offshore of Monroe 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.
Reports of fish kills suspected to be related to red tide were received in Southwest Florida over the past week from Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties. For more details, please visit https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/health/fish-kills-hotline/ and https://visitbeaches.org/.
Over the past week, respiratory irritation suspected to be related to red tide was reported via the Beach Conditions Reporting System and/or the Fish Kill Hotline in Southwest Florida in Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties. 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://habforecast.gcoos.org/.
Forecasts by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides for Pinellas County to northern Monroe County predict variable movement of surface waters and net eastern/southeastern transport of subsurface waters in most areas over the next 3.5 days.
The next status report will be issued on Wednesday, March 1st. 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.