Florida Fish and Wildlife: Update On Red Tide Status In Florida
By Space Coast Daily // February 14, 2016
A bloom of Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, persists along Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties in Southwest Florida.
Over the past week, Karenia brevis was detected in background to medium concentrations in 6 samples collected in and alongshore of Pinellas County; background concentrations in 1 sample collected from inshore waters of Hillsborough County; low to medium concentrations in 5 samples collected in and alongshore of Manatee County; low to high concentrations in 28 samples collected in and alongshore of Sarasota County; very low to medium concentrations in 12 samples collected in and alongshore of Charlotte County; background to low concentrations in 11 samples collected in and alongshore of Lee County, and background to medium concentrations in 4 samples collected alongshore of Collier County.
Three samples collected offshore of Monroe County also contained background to low concentrations of K. brevis.
Additional samples collected throughout Florida over the past week did not contain K. brevis.
Over the past week, respiratory irritation has been reported in several bloom areas of Southwest Florida from Sarasota south to Englewood.
Fish kills have also been reported along Siesta Key Beach, Longboat Key, and Captiva Island during that time period.
Forecasts by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides show southern/offshore movement of surface waters and southern/onshore movement of bottom waters in Southwest Florida over the next 3 days.
