Health officials issue alert for elevated red tide levels at several Sarasota beaches – WTSP
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
Current Conditions
Over the past week, the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was detected in 47 samples collected from Florida’s Gulf Coast. Bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/liter) were present in four samples: two in Pinellas County and two in Sarasota County. We continue to use satellite imagery (USF and NOAA NCCOS) to help track this event. Additional details are provided below.
- In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background to medium concentrations in and offshore of Pinellas County, background and very low concentrations in Manatee County, very low to medium concentrations in Sarasota County, background to low concentrations in Charlotte County, background to low concentrations in Lee County, and background to very low concentrations in Collier County.
- In Northwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in Bay County and background to low concentrations offshore of Pasco County.
- 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, Sarasota, and Charlotte 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, Sarasota, Charlotte, and Lee 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/.
