Florida’s latest red tide report found the organism that causes red tide, Karenia brevis, at background concentrations in six samples collected from and offshore of Southwest Florida.
Over the past week, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported background concentrations offshore of Hillsborough County and in and offshore of Sarasota County. The organism was not observed in Northwest Florida or along the state’s East Coast, according to FWC.
FWC said it received no reports of fish kills suspected to be related to red tide during the week, and no respiratory irritation suspected to be tied to red tide was reported in Florida.
Samples still being processed indicated low levels of Karenia brevis in St. Joseph Bay in Gulf County on Oct. 14. FWC said those results would be added to its daily sampling map.
Short-term forecasts from the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides call for variable movement of surface and subsurface waters from Pinellas County to northern Monroe County. FWC’s next statewide status report is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 23.
