Red tide detected offshore of Sanibel Island

Status Update: A bloom of the Florida red tide organism, Karenia brevis, has been detected offshore of the Sanibel Island area (Lee County). Recent satellite images from the Optical Oceanography Laboratory at the University of South Florida show that patches extend approximately 40 miles alongshore and up to 20 miles offshore. Karenia brevis was also detected this week in background concentrations in one sample collected inshore of Sarasota County, three samples collected inshore of Charlotte County, and in background to very low concentrations in two samples collected offshore of Lee County. In addition, one sample collected alongshore of Escambia County in northwest Florida contained background concentrations of K. brevis.

Other samples collected throughout Florida this week did not contain red tide.

Forecasts by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides (CPR), a partnership between the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, project offshore movement of surface waters and alongshore movement of bottom waters in the bloom region over the next 3 days.