FWC Red Tide Status Update for November 15, 2024

Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC

 

FWC

Current Conditions
Over the past week, the red tide organism Karenia brevis was detected in 74 samples collected from Southwest Florida. Bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/liter) were observed in 11 samples: one offshore of Pinellas County, one each in Hillsborough and Manatee counties, five in Sarasota County, two in and offshore of Charlotte County, and one in Lee County. Satellite imagery (USF, NOAA) continues to show elevated chlorophyll patches along and/or offshore of Northwest and Southwest Florida, including the Big Bend area and spanning from Pasco to Monroe counties. We are wrapping up a multi-day survey that conducted offshore and coastal sampling along much of Southwest Florida. Underway analysis using an Imaging FlowCytobot (IFCB, McLane Instruments) has confirmed the patchy presence of K. brevis from and/or offshore of Pasco to Collier counties (not shown). Additional samples from this survey will be examined via light microscopy once the survey is completed.

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, low and medium concentrations in Hillsborough County, background to medium concentrations in Manatee County, background to medium concentrations in and offshore of Sarasota and Charlotte counties, very low and medium concentrations in Lee County, and background and very low concentrations offshore of 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 (offshore of Pinellas County; and along Manatee, Sarasota, and Charlotte counties).

Respiratory Irritation suspected to be related to red tide was reported over the past week in Southwest Florida (Sarasota County). 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 predict variable movement of surface and subsurface waters over the next 3.5 days.

The next status report will be issued on Wednesday, November 20th. 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.