A bloom of Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, persists along Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, and northern Collier counties in Southwest Florida. Karenia brevis was detected in low to high concentrations in 9 samples collected in and alongshore of Pinellas County; background to medium concentrations in 22 samples collected inshore of Hillsborough County; low to medium concentrations in 18 samples collected in, along, and offshore of Manatee County; background to high concentrations in 35 samples collected in, along, and offshores of Sarasota County; very low to medium concentrations in 10 samples collected in, along, and offshore of Charlotte County; background to high concentrations in 31 samples collected in, along, and offshore of Lee County; and very low to medium concentrations in 2 samples collected offshore of northern Collier County.
Respiratory irritation continues to be reported in several bloom areas of Southwest Florida. Forecasts by the USF-FWC collaboration for Prediction of Red Tide show a slight southern movement of bloom waters in Southwest Florida over the next 3 days.
Background concentrations of K. brevis were also observed in one sample collected offshore of Okaloosa County in Northwest Florida. Along the Gulf Coast, samples were not collected in the past week from Walton, Gulf, Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson, Taylor, or Citrus counties.
Courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
