A bloom of the Florida red tide organism, Karenia brevis, persists in Southwest Florida.
In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in one sample collected from Sarasota County, low concentrations in one sample collected from Charlotte County, very low to medium concentrations in 13 samples collected from or offshore of Lee County, and low to high concentrations in six samples collected from Collier County.
In Northwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in two samples collected from Bay County.
Additional samples collected throughout Florida over the past week did not contain K. brevis.
Over the past week, fish kills were reported in the following Southwest Florida counties: Lee (3/21 – 3/23 at Bonita Beach, 3/23 at Bowman’s Beach, 3/21 – 3/23 and 3/26 – 3/27 at Gasparilla Island Range Lighthouse), and Collier (3/21 – 3/22 at Barefoot, South Marco, and Vanderbilt beaches; 3/23 at Naples Beach). Respiratory irritation was reported over the past week in Sarasota (3/23 at Nokomis Beach), Lee (3/21 – 3/22 and 3/25 at Bonita Beach, 3/21 – 3/23 and 3/26 at Gasparilla Island Range Lighthouse), and Collier (3/21 – 3/22 at Barefoot and South Marco beaches, 3/21 at Seagate Beach, 3/21 – 3/23 and 3/27 at Vanderbilt Beach) counties.
Report courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
