Florida Red Tide Map Shows Harmful Algal Bloom Forecast

A "red tide" algae bloom off the coast of Florida has sparked concern, with several counties issuing health alerts and some environmentalists calling on Governor Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency, according tom a report in The Guardian.

Newsweek contacted the office of DeSantis out of hours via email for comment.

Why It Matters

Harmful algal blooms can cause respiratory illness and eye irritation in humans, and can kill marine life, as well as contaminating drinking water and shellfish.

Not only do they affect both humans and wildlife, they can also have huge economic impacts as well.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the blooms cost around $82 million in losses each year because of their effects on the seafood, restaurant, and tourism industries.

What To Know

Over the past week, 50 samples of the red tide algae were found in Southwest Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, with 14 samples showing indications of a red tide bloom.

Per the organization, 10 of the 14 samples were from Lee County, with other samples coming from Sarasota, Charlotte and Collier Counties.

According to the FWC, by February 14, there had been reports of respiratory irritation in Sarasota, Lee, Collier and Monroe counties, which are suspected to be related to the red tide bloom, as well as fish deaths.

There have been many videos circulating online of the dead sea life washing up on Florida's shores in the past week.

A map, by the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS) and NOAA, shows the forecast of "respiratory irritation" at individual beach locations along the coast of Florida based on field samples of the karenia brevis algae concentration, wind speed, and direction.

The forecast of "respiratory irritation" currently remains "very low," according to the map, at the different beach locations, with Nokomis Beach being the only one with a slightly higher forecast, although it still only has a "low" risk at present.

According to NCCOS, moderate to high risks of respiratory irritation tend to occur when the wind blows onshore, from the water to the land, and is less likely when the wind blows in the opposite direction.

Water samples taken between February 9 and February 16 detected the karenia brevis algae along the coast at levels that pose a respiratory irritation risk in the counties of Charlotte, Lee and Manatee, according to NCCOS. In Collier and Pinellas Counties the level of red tide is unlikely to cause health issues.

The need to tackle red tides has been gaining more traction in recent years as the blooms have started to occur more frequently.

In 2019, DeSantis appointed 11 expert researchers and leading scientists to the Red Tide Task Force and has since approved $125 million in funding to be put toward algae mitigation.

However, according to The Guardian, conservation groups have argued that not enough is being done to tackle the problem.

What Is An Algal Bloom?

According to the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), some harmful algal blooms are caused by the microscopic algae species karenia brevis, known as red tide, which can grow out of control and form a bloom.

The blooms are often patchy, meaning that their impacts can vary by beach and throughout the day.

They have become increasingly common in recent years, which is thought to be because of rising sea temperatures and increased pollution, the BBC reported.

Some harmful algal blooms also occur in the aftermath of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, and drought, NOAA reported.

What People Are Saying

@Politics_PR, which has more than 198,000 followers on X, formerly Twitter: "Environmental groups are urging immediate action, warning that without intervention, the bloom could persist for months; damaging ecosystems, hurting businesses, and endangering public health.

"This isn't just a seasonal event, it's a growing crisis fueled by pollution, warming waters, and inadequate response planning. Florida can't afford inaction."

Kellie Cowan, a reporter for the Tampa news outlet Fox 13, wrote in a post on X: "Now that the sun has come up, we can really see the extent of death on Siesta Key beach. Florida's southwest waterways are being rocked by red tide and a separate toxic algae bloom, which is believed to be linked to discharge from Lake Okeechobee."

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) spokesperson Jonathan Veach, said in a statement seen by The Guardian: "FWC has increased routine sampling, added new measurements, and are planning an event response survey with a collaborative team. We have improved communication tools, like creating a series of educational red tide animated videos.

"FWC works with partners to produce metrics of severity based on bloom extent and duration. Our agency is not the entity who would make an official declaration of emergency.

"Thus far, while recognizing the current intensification, this red tide bloom is still fairly typical in terms of timing, intensity and location."

What's Next

The FWC is continuing to monitor the situation, as is the NOAA, and DeSantis has not yet responded to the calls for a state of emergency to be declared.