Florida’s coastal waters are starting the month with a clean bill of health as the latest state monitoring reports show almost no sign of the toxic algae known as red tide.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the organism Karenia brevis was found in only one sample across the entire state over the past week.
That single detection occurred offshore of Monroe County in Southwest Florida. Even there, the algae was only measured at “background concentrations,” which is the lowest possible level of detection and typically has no visible impact on the environment.
Meanwhile, testing in Northwest Florida and along the state’s East Coast came back completely negative, with no cells found in any samples.
READ: Beachgoers Beware: High Bacteria Levels Shut Down Swimming At Cypress Point Park
The lack of algae blooms has translated to a quiet week for beachgoers and local wildlife. State officials confirmed that no fish kills were reported to the FWC Fish Kill Hotline.
Additionally, there were no reports of the respiratory irritation—the coughing and scratchy throat symptoms—that usually plague coastal communities during a significant bloom.
To keep a close eye on the Gulf, scientists are currently leaning on satellite imagery from the University of South Florida and NOAA to track water conditions both near the shore and further out at sea.
Short-term forecasts for the next three and a half days suggest that surface waters will generally move toward the northwest, while deeper subsurface waters between Pinellas and northern Monroe counties are expected to shift in various directions.
Environmental agencies plan to continue their routine monitoring of the coast, with the next official status update scheduled for release on Friday, April 10.
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