Wednesday, October 30, 2024:
Red tide has returned to SWFL. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, over the past week, the red tide organism Karenia brevis was detected in 85 samples collected from Florida’s Gulf Coast.
October and November are traditionally the months most frequently impacted by red tide, but moderate to high concentrations can last through the winter. We tend to see it especially prevalent following major hurricanes.
In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background to medium concentrations in and offshore of Pinellas County, background to low concentrations in and offshore of Hillsborough County, very low to medium concentrations in and offshore of Manatee County, background to high concentrations in and offshore of Sarasota County, medium to high concentrations offshore of Charlotte County, very low to medium concentrations in and offshore of Lee County, and background to medium concentrations offshore of Collier County.