Red Tide Update (Jan. 27): Florida's Southwest Coast

Karenia brevis, the red tide organism, was detected this week south of the Cape Sable area and offshore of the Florida Keys (Monroe County). Concentrations ranged from very low to low, with the highest concentrations collected offshore of Sawyer Key. One sample collected inshore of the Marco Island area also contained very low concentrations of K. brevis.

Karenia brevis was not detected in water samples analyzed this week alongshore of Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte and Lee counties or alongshore of the Florida Keys (Atlantic side).

Bloom Boundary: Sample analysis confirms patchy concentrations of Karenia brevis in southwest Florida from southern Collier County through Monroe County. Respiratory irritation has been reported offshore of the Marco Island area (southern Collier County), suggesting the continued presence of an offshore bloom.