Sanibel & Captiva, 9-24-14: No Red Tide
Midweek Sanibel red tide report, at this time, there are no red tide conditions near Sanibel & Captiva Islands.
Here are the current red tide conditions from today’s 9-24-14 midweek Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission red tide report.
“A bloom of Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, is ongoing in the northeast Gulf of Mexico. Due to cloud cover at the southernmost areas of the bloom, recent satellite images from the Optical Oceanography Laboratory at the University of South Florida show only the northernmost section of the bloom extending offshore between Franklin and Citrus counties (with likely continuation south to Pasco County), starting approximately 5 to 35 miles offshore, dependent on location.
FWC staff returned today from a 3-day offshore research cruise on the Florida Institute of Oceanography’s R/V Bellows; data from that cruise will be available in reports later this week and next week. No red tide has been detected so far this week alongshore or offshore of Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, Collier, or Monroe counties. In addition, a 2-week glider deployment by USF revealed no detectable red tide in bottom waters offshore of Pinellas County.
Widespread Trichodesmium blooms in surface waters have also been observed approximately 1 to 5 miles offshore of Clearwater Beach (Pinellas County) south to Sanibel Island (Lee County) and offshore in the current red tide bloom areas.
A full status report will be provided this Friday, September 26, 2014.
For more information, please see the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission site.
