Florida wildlife officials detected a minute trace of the organism responsible for red tide in just one water sample collected over the past week, according to a status report released Friday.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reported that the microscopic algae, Karenia brevis, was observed at “background concentrations” in a single sample taken from Bay County in Northwest Florida. Background concentrations represent the lowest possible detection level and typically cause no noticeable effects.
Everywhere else in the state, the organism was entirely absent. Testing from the past week showed no signs of Karenia brevis in Southwest Florida or along the Florida East Coast.
The low detection levels mean the state is currently free from the usual disruptions associated with major blooms. “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,” the agency stated.
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Furthermore, beachgoers and coastal residents have not experienced the standard respiratory problems, such as coughing or throat irritation, that occur when the algae blooms in high concentrations. The FWC confirmed that “respiratory irritation suspected to be related to red tide was not reported over the past week in Florida.”
To monitor the coastline, state biologists are combining field sampling with satellite imagery provided by the University of South Florida (USF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Short-term, three-and-a-half-day ocean models developed by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides currently project “variable movement of surface waters and net southeastern transport of subsurface waters” for the coastal stretch running from Pinellas down to northern Monroe counties.
State agencies will continue to monitor the coastlines, and the FWC plans to release its next updated status report on Friday, May 29.
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