Isolated Concentrations of Karenia brevis Found on Northwest and East Coasts, Southwest Florida Remains Clear
The red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was detected at background concentrations in only two locations across Florida over the past week, signaling minimal statewide activity. According to the latest report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), one sample each from Florida’s Northwest and East Coasts showed the presence of the organism.
In Northwest Florida, the single sample with background concentrations was found in Escambia County. Meanwhile, on the Florida East Coast, a similar sample was collected in Brevard County.
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For the second consecutive week, K. brevis was not observed in any samples collected from Southwest Florida, a region that has historically experienced the most significant impacts from red tide.
The current findings indicate that the concentrations of the organism are not at levels typically associated with harmful effects. No fish kills suspected of being related to red tide were reported to the FWC’s Fish Kill Hotline or other partners. Additionally, there were no reports of respiratory irritation over the past week, which is a common public health concern when red tide blooms intensify.
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State agencies continue to monitor conditions closely using a combination of water sampling and satellite imagery from partners like the University of South Florida (USF) and NOAA NCCOS. Forecasters from the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides predict that surface waters from Pinellas County to northern Monroe County will experience a net northwestern transport, with variable movement of subsurface waters over the next 3.5 days.
The next FWC status report on red tide conditions is scheduled to be released on Friday, September 12.
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