Red Tide Status Update for September 14, 2018

 

Current Conditions

A bloom of the Florida red tide organism, Karenia brevis, persists in Southwest Florida and extends along ~130 miles of coastline, from northern Pinellas to Lee counties, and extends offshore (10 miles or more). A patchy bloom of K. brevis was also observed in Northwest Florida for the first time this past week.

Relative to last week, increased K. brevis concentrations were observed at multiple locations in Southwest Florida (in Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte counties). Decreased concentrations were observed in southern Lee and Collier counties. In Northwest Florida, K. brevis was observed in seven counties this week, compared to only one county last week (Bay County). Observations of >1,000,000 K. brevis cells per liter (“high” concentrations) occurred only in Southwest Florida (in or offshore of Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, and Lee counties). More specific details are provided below.

• In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background to high concentrations in or offshore of Pinellas County, background to high concentrations in Manatee County, background to high concentrations in Sarasota County, medium to high concentrations in or offshore of Charlotte County, background to high concentrations in or offshore of Lee County, and background concentrations in or offshore of Collier County. For additional information, view the southwest coast report  and map . 
  
  
• In Northwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at very low concentrations in Santa Rosa County, very low concentrations in Okaloosa County, very low concentrations in Walton County, background to medium concentrations in or offshore of Bay County, background concentrations in Gulf County, background concentrations in Franklin County, and very low concentrations in Pasco County. For additional information, view the northwest coast report  and map .
  
  
• Samples collected along the east coast of Florida over the past week did not contain K. brevis. For additional information, view the East Coast report  and map .

Fish Kills

In Southwest Florida, reports of fish kills were received for multiple locations in and/or offshore of Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte and Lee counties. In Northwest Florida, reports of fish kills were received in and/or offshore of Walton and Bay counties. More detailed information is available at http://myfwc.com/fishkill.

Respiratory Irritation
Respiratory irritation was reported over the past week in Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, and Lee counties. For additional information, view the Southwest Coast report . 

Forecast
Forecasts by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides for Pinellas to northern Monroe counties predict net southern movement of surface waters and net southeastern transport of subsurface waters over the next three days for most areas. Forecasts for Northwest Florida predict net eastern transport of surface and subsurface waters for most areas.

Red Tide Status Map (September 14, 2018)

View a larger map  (September 14, 2018)

To see detailed information on this week's samples, view the current Statewide Google Earth map for September 14, 2018. 

By using Google Earth, you can zoom in to specific locations and click on stations to see detailed information, including sample date and cell concentration. You must have Google Earth installed on your computer to view this map; the software can be downloaded from the Google Earth website. 

Archived status maps can be found in our Flickr gallery.

Latest Red Tide Status Report Available by Phone
Call 866-300-9399 at any time from anywhere in Florida to hear a recording about red tide conditions throughout the state. Callers outside of Florida can dial 727-552-2448. Standard calling charges apply.

Reports are updated on Friday afternoon except during holidays, in which case the report will be released on the closest day. Additional information, if available, is provided on Wednesday afternoon. To receive an e-mail when the current status has been updated, visit our subscription area.

Additional Information
For additional information about red tide and the current red tide bloom, including information on how to report a fish kill or other wildlife effects, consult health authorities about human exposure, or locate other resources, visit our Red Tide-Related Hotlines and Information Sources article.

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Blue-Green Algae Bloom Information

Additional information regarding the current status of algal blooms in South Florida is being consolidated and posted on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s website: https://floridadep.gov/dear/algal-bloom.

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Description	Karenia breviscells/liter	Possible Effects (K. brevis only)
NOT PRESENT - BACKGROUND	background levels of 1,000 cells or less	None anticipated
VERY LOW	>1,000 to 10,000	Possible respiratory irritation; shellfish harvesting closures > 5,000 cells/L
LOW	>10,000 to 100,000	Respiratory irritation, possible fish kills and bloom chlorophyll probably detected by satellites at upper limits
MEDIUM	>100,000 to 1,000,000	Respiratory irritation and probable fish kills
HIGH	>1,000,000	As above plus discoloration

 

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