Red Tide Current Status

Current Conditions

Over the past week, the red tide organism Karenia brevis was detected in 99 samples collected from the Gulf Coast of Florida. Bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/liter) were observed in seven samples: one from Hillsborough County, and six from and offshore of Sarasota County. Satellite chlorophyll imagery (USF, NOAA NCCOS) continues to vary from day to day, when not obscured by cloud cover as it has been for Southwest Florida over the past few days. Earlier in the week, a patch of elevated chlorophyll suspected to contain red tide was observed offshore of Charlotte to Collier counties, and we will continue to track this as cloud-free satellite data becomes available.

Additional details are provided below.

• In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background to low concentrations in and offshore of Pinellas County, background to medium concentrations in and offshore of Hillsborough County, background to low concentrations in and offshore of Manatee County, background to medium concentrations in and offshore of Sarasota County, background to low concentrations in and offshore of Lee County, and background to low concentrations in and offshore of Collier County. For additional information, view the Southwest Coast report and map.
• In Northwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at very low concentrations in one sample collected from Franklin County. 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

Fish kills suspected to be related to red tide were reported to FWC's Fish Kill Hotline and other partners over the past week for Southwest Florida (offshore of Pinellas County and along Sarasota and Lee counties).

Respiratory Irritation

Respiratory irritation suspected to be related to red tide was reported over the past week in Southwest Florida (Sarasota and Lee counties). For forecasts that use FWC and partner data, please visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Gulf of Mexico Harmful Algal Blooms Forecast.

Forecast

Forecasts provided by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides for Pinellas County to northern Monroe County predict net southern movement of surface waters and net southern to southeastern transport of subsurface waters in most areas over the next 3.5 days.

To see detailed information on this week's samples, view the current Statewide Google Earth map for December 20, 2024.

By using Google Earth, you can zoom in to specific locations and click on stations to see detailed information, including sample date and cell concentration. You must have Google Earth installed on your computer to view this map; the software can be downloaded from the Google Earth website.

The next status report will be issued on Friday, December 27th. Please check our daily sampling map which can be accessed from the top of this page.

Latest Red Tide Status Report Available by Phone

Call 866-300-9399 at any time from anywhere to hear a recording about red tide conditions throughout the state. Standard calling charges apply.

Reports are updated on Friday afternoon except during holidays, in which case the report will be released on the closest day. Additional information, if available, is provided on Wednesday afternoon. To receive an e-mail when the current status has been updated, visit our subscription area.

Additional Information

For additional information about red tide and the current red tide bloom, including information on how to report a fish kill or other wildlife effects, consult health authorities about human exposure, or locate other resources, visit our Red Tide-Related Hotlines and Information Sources page.

Archived status maps can be found in our Flickr gallery. Previous regional status reports and maps can be found on our red tide resources page.

Blue-Green Algae Bloom Information

Additional information regarding the current status of algal blooms in South Florida is being consolidated and posted on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s website: https://floridadep.gov/dear/algal-bloom.