The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) today released its latest red tide status report, indicating the presence of the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, at background concentrations in a single sample collected from Northwest Florida’s Okaloosa County over the past week.
Despite this detection, officials emphasize that current conditions appear clear. Satellite imagery analysis conducted by the University of South Florida (USF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NOAA NCCOS) shows no indication of elevated algal biomass in the region.
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In contrast, Southwest Florida and the Florida East Coast reported no observations of K. brevis over the past week. This marks a period of continued absence for the organism in these areas.
Furthermore, there were no reports of fish kills suspected to be related to red tide received by the FWC’s Fish Kill Hotline or partner organizations in the past week. Similarly, no instances of respiratory irritation potentially linked to red tide were reported across the state.
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For those seeking detailed forecasts utilizing FWC and partner data, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Gulf Coast Harmful Algal Blooms Forecast remains a valuable resource. Additionally, the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides has issued its forecast for Pinellas County to northern Monroe County, predicting variable movement of surface waters and a net southeastern transport of subsurface waters in most areas over the next 3.5 days.
The FWC will continue to monitor the situation closely in Northwest Florida and statewide. The next red tide status report is scheduled for release on Friday, May 2, 2025.
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