A bloom of the Florida red tide organism, Karenia brevis, persists in Southwest Florida from southern Pinellas to northern Monroe County.
Karenia brevis was observed in very low to low concentrations in five samples collected from Pinellas County; low concentrations in one sample collected from Hillsborough County; background to medium concentrations in seven samples collected from Manatee County; medium to high concentrations in ten samples collected from Sarasota County; medium to high concentrations in nineteen samples collected from Charlotte County; background to high concentrations in sixteen samples collected from Lee County; background to very low concentrations in nine samples collected from Collier County; and very low to medium concentrations in seven samples collected from Monroe County.
Additional samples collected throughout Florida over the past week did not contain K. brevis.
Fish kills affecting multiple species have been reported along Pinellas, Charlotte, Lee, Collier, and northern Monroe counties over the past week. Slight respiratory irritation has also been reported in some areas of Sarasota and Lee counties.
Courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
