Red Tide Status Update: October 23, 2026

Over the past week, the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was observed in 12 samples collected along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/liter) were present for the first time this season in two samples from Northwest Florida in St. Joseph Bay (Gulf County). We continue to use satellite imagery (USF and NOAA NCCOS) to help track nearshore and offshore conditions.

Additional details follow.

• In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations offshore of Lee County.
• In Northwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in Bay County and low to medium concentrations in Gulf County.
• Along the Florida East Coast over the past week, K. brevis was not observed.

Several observations of fish kills suspected to be related to red tide were reported in Northwest Florida (St. Joseph Bay in Gulf County) to FWC's Fish Kill Hotline or other partners over the past week.

Respiratory Irritation suspected to be related to red tide was reported in Northwest Florida (St. Joseph Bay in Gulf County) over the past week. For forecasts that use FWC and partner data, please visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Gulf Coast Harmful Algal Blooms Forecast.

Short-term (3.5 day) forecasts by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides predict southern to southeastern movement of surface and subsurface waters in most areas from Pinellas to northern Monroe counties.

The next status report will be issued on Friday, October 30. Please check our daily sampling map, which can be accessed via the online status report on our Red Tide Current Status page. For more information on algal blooms and water quality, please visit Protecting Florida Together.

This information, including maps and reports with additional details, is also available on the FWRI Red Tide website. The website also provides links to additional information related to the topic of Florida red tide including satellite imagery, experimental red tide forecasts, shellfish harvesting areas, the FWC Fish Kill Hotline, the Florida Poison Information Center (to report human health effects related to exposure to red tide), and other wildlife related hotlines.

To learn more about various organisms that have been known to cause algal blooms in Florida waters, see the FWRI Red Tide Flickr page. Archived status maps can also be found on Flickr.

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