Red Tide Current Status
Daily Sample Map
This map contains the last eight days of sampling and is updated daily at 5 p.m.
Please be sure to click on individual dots for sampling details.
Red Tide Status Update for February 27, 2026
Current Conditions
Over the past week, the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was observed in two samples from Northwest Florida. Bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/liter) were not observed. We continue to use satellite imagery (USF and NOAA NCCOS) to help track nearshore and offshore conditions. We have been monitoring an offshore patch of elevated chlorophyll (not suspected to be K. brevis), and imagery from February 26 revealed that it persists (See Northwest Coast map).
We are sharing a simplified report this week as we reconstruct and update the server that hosts the FWC HAB Database and the FWC Red Tide Map.
Additional details follow.
Fish Kills
No fish kills suspected to be related to red tide were reported to FWC's Fish Kill Hotline or other partners over the past week.
Respiratory Irritation
Respiratory irritation suspected to be related to red tide was not reported over the past week. For forecasts that use FWC and partner data, please visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Gulf Coast Harmful Algal Bloom Forecast.
Forecast
Short-term (3.5 day) forecasts provided by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides predict net northwestern transport of surface waters in most areas from Walton County to Northern Monroe County, with the exception of Franklin County, where surface transport is to the northeast. Net northwestern subsurface currents are predicted from Walton County to Gulf County, and minimal subsurface movement is forecasted for most areas from Franklin County to northern Monroe County.
Northwest Coast Red Tide Status Map (February 27, 2026)
The next status report will be issued on Friday, March 6. 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.
Key for Results
| Description | K. brevis abundance | Possible effects (K. brevis only) |
|---|---|---|
| NOT PRESENT- BACKGROUND | background levels of 1,000 cells or less | no effects anticipated |
| VERY LOW | > 1,000 - 10,000 cells/L | possible respiratory irritation; shellfish harvesting closures when cell abundance equals or exceeds 5,000 cells/L |
| LOW | > 10,000 - 100,000 cells/L | respiratory irritation; shellfish harvesting closures; possible fish kills; probable detection of chlorophyll by satellites at upper range of cell abundance |
| MEDIUM | > 100,000 - 1,000,000 cells/L | respiratory irritation; shellfish harvesting closures; probable fish kills; detection of surface chlorophyll by satellites |
| HIGH | > 1,000,000 cells/L | as above, plus water discoloration |