Last updated on July 2nd, 2022 at 07:53 am
The red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was observed at background concentrations in one sample from Southwest Florida over the past week, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported on Friday, July 1.
- In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations offshore of Hillsborough County. For additional information, view the Southwest Coast report and map.
- In Northwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was not observed. For additional information, view the Northwest Coast report and map.
- Along the Florida East Coast over the past week, K. brevis was not observed. For additional information, view the East Coast report and map.
Fish Kills
No reports of fish kills suspected to be related to red tide were received over the the past week. For more details, please visit: https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/health/fish-kills-hotline/.
Respiratory Irritation
Respiratory irritation suspected to be related to red tide was not reported in Florida over the past week. For recent and current information at individual beaches, please visit https://visitbeaches.org/ and for forecasts that use FWC and partner data, please visit https://habforecast.gcoos.org/.
Forecast
Forecasts by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides for Pinellas County to northern Monroe County predict variable movement of surface waters and net southeastern transport of subsurface waters in most areas over the next 3.5 days.
For detailed information on this week’s samples, view the current Statewide Google Earth map for June 24, 2022.
Click here for Daily Red Tide map
Blue-Green Algae: Lake O bloom not yet leaking into rivers
There were 38 reported site visits in the past seven days, with 38 samples collected. Algal bloom conditions were observed by samplers at 24 sites, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection reported on Friday, July 1.
The satellite imagery for Lake Okeechobee from 6/23 shows approximately 45% coverage of moderate to high bloom potential, with the highest bloom potential predominantly along the western and southern shore of the lake. The satellite imagery for the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries from 6/23 shows no significant bloom potential in visible portions of either estuary.
The satellite imagery for the St. Johns River from 6/23 shows areas of moderate bloom potential on Lake George and on the main stem of the St. Johns River downstream of Lake George to Welaka and in Doctors Lake.
Bloom potential is subject to change due to rapidly changing environmental conditions or satellite inconsistencies (i.e., wind, rain, temperature or stage).
For detailed blue-green algae report, visit the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Related News Reports
Manatee County’s new skimmer boats to help clean up fish kills, WUSF Public Media, 6/30/22
Blue-green algae bloom alert issued for Clay County creek, News4Jax, 6/23/22
Red tide shows up at low levels in the Indian River Lagoon, causing concern for manatees, Florida Today, 6/19/22
Army Corps discusses feasibility of zero Lake O releases during St. Lucie River boat tour TCPalm News, 6/17/22
NOAA seeks input on Gulf of Mexico aquaculture sites, including 3 off Florida Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 6/6/22
Biden signs South Florida algae bloom bill. TCPalm News. 6/16/22
Gov. DeSantis announces $1.2 billion water protection plan from Fort Myers Beach. 6/8/22. Fox 4
UCF Researchers Are Contributing to World Oceans Day. 6/7/22. UCF
What is red tide — and is it getting worse? — Discover Magazine
Twitter rants help scientists study red tide — Axios
Additional Resources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Florida Department of Health
- Protecting Florida Together
- Florida Poison Control Information Center
Bob Rountree is a retired journalist, beach bum, angler and camper who has explored Florida for decades. No adventure is complete without finding a scenic paddle trail or unpaved road to nowhere. Bob co-founded FloridaRambler.com with fellow journalist Bonnie Gross 11 years ago.
Kim Wroblewski
Tuesday 2nd of November 2021
The red tide can bother you at sometimes. But whiat our family does is just go down the beach a couple miles and you really can’t notice it at all. Sometimes it’ll bother you worse than others. But don’t give up hope our Florida weather is beautiful and so are the beaches so just enjoy it the best you can and except the red tide Kim Wroblewski
Susan
Saturday 14th of August 2021
Thank you for publishing information about red tide. This has been going on for several weeks not just this last week. I live near the beach in Sarasota county. I feel so bad for tourists who come down with no idea that this is going on. It is not publicized or reported much. The signs alerting people are very inconspicuous. Many lodging properties and hotels do not tell their guests. We’ve also had closures due to bacteria in the water. It is bad enough that our state government is not proactive in solving this problem for all of us, but at least tell people what’s going on for safety reasons. Florida rambler is awesome. Thank you for all your publications! Susan