A persistent bloom of the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, has intensified in Northwest Florida, with bloom concentrations detected in five samples collected from Gulf County over the past week. Fish kills suspected to be related to the toxic algae have been reported in both Gulf and Bay counties.
State officials confirmed the presence of K. brevis in a total of six samples along Florida’s Gulf Coast, five of which were found to be at bloom concentrations—exceeding 100,000 cells per liter—in the waters of Gulf County. The area, including St. Joseph Bay, showed elevated chlorophyll levels in satellite imagery from October 23, despite some cloud cover, indicating the presence of a significant algal bloom. Concentrations in Gulf County were categorized as medium to high.
The ongoing presence of the bloom has already led to environmental impacts. Fish kills suspected to be linked to the red tide were reported to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Fish Kill Hotline and partner organizations in both Bay and Gulf counties over the last seven days.
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In contrast, conditions in Southwest Florida remain relatively mild, with K. brevis observed at only background concentrations in one sample collected offshore of Sarasota County. No K. brevis was observed along the Florida East Coast during the past week.
Officials noted that there were no reports of respiratory irritation suspected to be related to red tide exposure over the past week in Florida.
Short-term forecasts from the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides predict a general southwestern transport of surface currents in most areas from eastern Bay County to northern Monroe County, though subsurface currents are expected to be variable in the panhandle region.
The FWC advises residents and visitors to check the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Gulf Coast Harmful Algal Blooms Forecast for daily updates and to monitor the FWC’s online status report for the daily sampling map. The next red tide status report is scheduled for release on Friday, October 31.
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