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Red Tide Current Status Statewide Information
This summary report of current red tide conditions around Florida includes a map of sampling results and regional status reports. Reports are generally updated on Friday afternoon. Additional information, if available, is provided on Tuesday afternoon.
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MIDWEEK RED TIDE UPDATE (July 8, 2008)
No water samples have been received so far this week from the east coast of Florida or northwest Florida.
In southwest Florida, no Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was detected in water samples collected alongshore of Sarasota County near New Pass. Sampling will continue this week and complete results will be available in the next scheduled status report on Friday, July 11. REGIONAL RED TIDE SUMMARIES (July 3, 2008)
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Current Status Reports
Past Status Reports
Key for Results
|
Description |
Karenia brevis (cells/liter) |
Possible Effects (K. brevis only) |
| PRESENT |
background levels of 1,000 cells or less |
None |
| VERY LOWa |
>1,000 to <5,000 |
Possible respiratory irritation |
| VERY LOWb |
5,000 to 10,000 |
Possible respiratory irritation and shellfish harvesting closures |
| LOWa |
>10,000 to <50,000 |
Respiratory irritation, but chlorophyll levels too low to be detected by satellites |
| LOWb |
50,000 to <100,000 |
Respiratory irritation, maybe fish kills, and bloom chlorophyll probably detected by satellites |
| MEDIUM |
100,000 to <1,000,000 |
Respiratory irritation and probable fish kills |
| HIGH |
>1,000,000 |
As above plus discoloration |
Hotlines and Reporting Sites for Effects on Humans
- Marine and Freshwater Toxins Hotline: (888) 232-8635 (toll-free)
The Marine and Freshwater Toxins Hotline is available for reporting harmful effects associated with a marine or estuarine event. Callers are connected to the Florida Poison Information Center in Miami, which operates 24 hours a day, every day. The center is staffed by health care professionals who will record the caller’s information and assist with health and safety concerns. The Florida Department of Health (DOH) encourages people who have experienced harmful effects associated with exposure to aquatic toxins or harmful algae to call the hotline.
- Medical Effects Relating to Humans:
Information Sources
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) uses satellite imagery, field observations, and buoy data to assess harmful algal blooms in the Gulf of Mexico. A report of conditions and additional information are available on the NOAA Harmful Algal Bloom Forecasting System Web page. Selected information from NOAA is incorporated into FWRI’s status report.
- Businesses affected by red tide events can find information, offers for "kits" and brochures, links to other sources, and more at http://www.redtideonline.com. This site is maintained by Solutions To Avoid Red Tide (S.T.A.R.T.), a nonprofit group at Longboat Key.
- Hardcopy information about Florida red tides is available by request. Please address requests to FWRI, Outreach Coordination Office, 100 Eighth Avenue SE, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701. Documents for printing are available at http://research.myfwc.com and http://www.redtideonline.com. Business people are encouraged to make these documents available to visitors who are unlikely to learn about red tide from other local sources.
- University of South Florida (USF) Marine Science (Weisberg) maintains a site for information regarding real-time surface meteorology, currents, and sea level from an array of buoys and coastal stations, http://comps.marine.usf.edu. Experimental red tide forecasts based on wind and current models are now available at http://ocgmod1.marine.usf.edu/WFS/plot_hab.html. Visitors to this site can select an area of interest and view projected movement of red tide blooms from recently sampled locations.
Shellfish Information
Shellfish = bivalves (oysters, clams, and mussels but not scallops)
Shellfish Harvesting Closures:
For current open/closed status of shellfish areas for harvesting:
- Contact one of the following field offices of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS):
Panama City: (850) 236-2200
Apalachicola: (850) 653-8317
Cedar Key: (352) 543-5181
Murdock: (941) 255-7405
Palm Bay: (321) 984-4890
OR
PLEASE CHECK THE FDACS WEB SITE FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION.
Areas along the Florida coast may be closed for reasons other than red tide. Determine open or closed status BEFORE harvesting in Florida waters.
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