YOUR WEEKLY RED TIDE UPDATE …

Over the past week, the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was detected in 135 samples from and offshore of Southwest Florida, and one from Northwest Florida. Bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/liter) were present in 58 samples from Southwest Florida: four in Manatee County, 12 in Sarasota County, five in Charlotte County, and 37 in and offshore of Lee County. Additional details are provided below.

In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background to low concentrations in Pinellas County, background to very low concentrations in Hillsborough County, background to medium concentrations in and offshore of Manatee County, low to medium concentrations in Sarasota County, very low to high concentrations in Charlotte County, background to high concentrations in and offshore of Lee County, and background to low concentrations in Collier County.