Red Tide stubbornly persisting along southwest Florida

A bloom of Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, persists alongshore of southwest Florida. Recent satellite images show that the bloom extends 50 miles alongshore of Charlotte and Lee counties with patches present along Sarasota County, Collier County and off the Florida Keys.

In samples analyzed so far this week, concentrations of the red tide organism range from very low to low alongshore of southern Sarasota County and offshore of the lower Florida Keys (Monroe County). Samples collected in Pine Island Sound (Lee County) and alongshore of Charlotte, Lee and southern Collier counties contained concentrations ranging from very low to medium.

Sampling will continue this week, and complete results will be available in the next scheduled status report on Friday, January 11.