This is a really big question. Florida red tide (Karenia brevis) is a naturally occurring algae and cannot be completely eradicated.  Severe Karenia brevis blooms have been documented in the mid 1900s prior to significant human settlement along the coastlines.  Florida red tide isn’t just a regional or even a state issue.  Red tide blooms happen throughout the Gulf of Mexico, including around the Yucatan Peninsula. Nutrient impacts come from every community, every region, every state and other countries.  For example, nutrients from agriculture in the Midwest enter the Gulf of Mexico via the largest watershed in North America, the Mississippi River watershed.  It is unknown if those nutrients are carried on the Loop Current to initiate or sustain Karenia brevis in the Gulf of Mexico.

The first question is, what can be done about red tide? Can humans make changes to significantly reduce the duration or red tide blooms or should the focus be on forecasting and mitigating the effects? Will local or even state actions have any local impact to this Gulf-wide issue? 

Red tides in Florida develop 10-40 miles offshore, away from man-made nutrient sources. In contrast to the other “red tide” species around the globe that are fueled by nutrient pollution associated with urban or agricultural runoff, at this time, there is no direct link between nutrient pollution and the frequency or initiation of red tides caused by Karenia brevis. However, once Florida red tides are transported inshore, they are capable of using man-made nutrients for their growth. Therefore, reducing nutrients going into the Gulf of Mexico could reduce the duration of a red tide bloom.  We say “could” because Karenia brevis is also capable of producing brevetoxin to kill fish to provide the nutrients it needs to survive.  

Nutrient reduction is the focus of numerous programs at the local and state level.  Examples include Florida-Friendly Landscaping™, fertilizer ordinances, agriculture best management practices, and the Total Maximum Daily Loads program. Last summer, following the 2018/2019 red tide bloom, a significant law called the Clean Waterways Act passed which requires: 

• Increased regulation of septic tanks;
• Contingency plans for power outages to minimize discharges of raw sewage in wastewater systems;
• Provision of financial records from all wastewater systems to make sure money is being allocated to infrastructure to prevent them from falling into disrepair;
• Detailed documentation of fertilizer use by agricultural to ensure compliance with best management practices and to help evaluate effectiveness; and
• Updated stormwater rules and design criteria to improve nutrient removal.

Other actions include the establishment of The Red Tide Institute at Mote Marine Laboratory, reactivation of the Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Task Force and the creation of the Blue Green Algae Task Force. Red Tide Institute’s mission is to reduce adverse impacts of Florida red tide on public health, coastal marine ecosystems, and Florida’s economy via the rigorous testing and application of a “toolbox” of science-based mitigation and control technologies and strategies. Scientists at the Red Tide Institute study chemical, physical and biological tools that could destroy the algae and it’s toxins directly or could shield people and/or wildlife from algae bloom impacts. 

The Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Task Force was reactivated under the direction of Governor DeSantis in 2019. The HAB Task Force has agreed to focus on issues associated with red tide as their top priority. The HAB Task Force will play an important role in determining strategies to research, monitor, control and mitigate red tide and other harmful algal blooms in Florida waters. The HAB Task Force has adopted broad, long-term focal areas within which it will evaluate existing approaches or knowledge; pinpoint gaps in our efforts or understanding; and build a prioritized portfolio of strategies and actions to fill those gaps by assessing their benefits and feasibility. The HAB Task Force initial recommendations include four focal areas: public health; communications; management and response; and research. Based on HAB Task Force priorities, the Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) and FDOH have funded studies to address the knowledge gaps. 

The Blue-Green Algae Task Force is an advisory body, appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, to aid the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in fulfilling its mission to protect, conserve and manage the state’s natural resources and enforce its environmental laws. The Task Force provides guidance and specific, science-based recommendations with the goal of expediting improvements and restoration of Florida’s water bodies that have been adversely affected by blue-green algae blooms. While not addressing red tide specifically, their initial recommendations that include nutrient pollution reductions and remediation were widely included in the new Clean Waterways Rule.  

Even more actions are taking place to forecast and mitigate the effects of red tide. The Beach Conditions Report is a tool developed by Mote Marine Laboratory, that provides users with daily reports of beach conditions from 7 sites in Collier County (and other areas).  The Beach Conditions Report allows beach goers, locally or worldwide, to know the near real time conditions, maximizing their Collier County beach experience.  The report includes information such as presence of dead fish, respiratory irritation, wind direction, crowds, surf type etc. Essentially, when social and other media are misinformed, the Beach Conditions Report provides up to date, reliable information regarding the true conditions at the beach.  Parks and Recreation staff update this report once daily, therefore please note that weather and tide can cause conditions to change throughout the day. 

NOAA satellite imagery tracks red tide using satellites that detect chlorophyll levels in the water. They use algorithms that can differentiate Karenia brevis from other types of algae. The maps are updated daily and available to the public at this website.

The HABScope uses a simple microscope and iPod touch to analyze live water samples. Once fully tested, this technology is intended to be easy enough for volunteers to analyze beach samples every day.  Using image recognition techniques to count live Karenia brevis cells, samples are placed under the microscope and a 30 second video is recorded and sent to NOAA. The image recognition algorithm counts the number of live Karenia brevis cells and takes less than a minute to determine if red tide levels are high enough to cause respiratory irritation. Pollution Control staff has participated in the HABScope beta test for 3 years. The HABScope has led to the development of the Respiratory Irritation Forecast. 

The Respiratory Irritation Forecast tool is produced using current wind forecasts combined with Karenia brevis cell counts gathered by HABscope users along the coast. It shows the day and time for the potential risk of respiratory impacts to beachgoers in 3-hour increments for 24 hours. 

At the local level, Collier County’s red tide operations include:

• Collecting weekly samples at 5 beaches throughout the year. Sampling increases to twice a week at the same 5 beaches when red tide is present. Typical red tide season in Collier is October through April. Our results and those throughout the state can be found here. Those samples are sent to the FWRI lab.
• HABScope beta testing for red tide levels from the samples we collect.
• Coordinating with City of Naples, City of Marco, Rookery Bay, Delnor Wiggins State Park, Tourism, The Conservancy of SW Florida, Coastal Zone Management, Parks and Recreation, Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI), and Department of Health to ensure consistent messaging on conditions, beach signs, and if needed, fish kill cleanup response or wildlife related impacts.
• Pollution Control serves as the centralized contact to take reports from the public regarding respiratory irritation and dead fish. These reports are then provided twice daily to the agencies above.
• Responding to customer questions and media inquiries.
• Coastal Zone Management beach rakers remove dead fish (when present) on weekdays from County maintained beaches.
• The Beach Conditions Report is updated daily by Parks and Recreation staff. 
• Updating the red tide website, e-notice information, and red tide hotline.
• Providing outreach via social media with resource information such as: the Beach Conditions Report, the Red Tide - Facts and Myths YouTube video, the respiratory irritation forecast website, and NOAA’s daily satellite imagery on the location of the red tide bloom. 

Red tide blooms caused by Karenia brevis most commonly affect areas between Pinellas and Monroe Counties on the west coast of Florida. Blooms typically occur from October to April here in Collier County. However, red tide blooms can occur during any month of the year. Red tide blooms are very patchy and cannot be predicted with great certainty more than a few days into the future. Check the FWC’s Daily Sampling Map and the NOAA’s Algal Blooms from Satellite for Southwest Florida to get the most recent location of red tide blooms.

There are some great tools available! You can look at the Mote Marine Laboratory's Beach Conditions Report which tells you what is happening at the beach that day.  You can find red tide information such as the presence of dead fish or respiratory irritation, but it also tells you about wind direction, crowds, jellyfish, etc.  This is updated by the park rangers in the morning so be aware that conditions may change due to weather or tide.

You can look at NOAA’s daily satellite imagery to find the location of a red tide bloom. NOAA tracks red tide using satellites that detect chlorophyll levels and can differentiate Karenia brevis (the algae that causes red tide) from other types of algae in the water. The maps are updated daily and available at this website.

The Respiratory Irritation Forecast tool is a new tool produced using wind forecasts combined with red tide counts from HABScope users gathered along the coast. It tells you the day and time you could feel respiratory effects at the beach.

Beach cameras are another great way to see before you go.  You can check out different beaches from Vanderbilt Beach to Marco Island!

Dead fish on Collier County maintained beaches (Beaches between Delnor-Wiggins State Park and Clam Pass or on Marco Island between Tigertail Beach and South Marco Beach) are cleaned up every weekday morning. Dead fish on beaches maintained by the City of Naples (Clam Pass to Gordon Pass) are cleaned daily.  Tide cycles can wash more dead fish onto the beach after the beaches have been raked, those will be cleaned the next morning.  

Cleanup of back bays is typically done by mother nature during tide changes. Other fish removal measures may be used in emergency situations.

Once Florida red tides are close to shore, they can use nutrients from stormwater runoff to eat and grow.  Therefore, reducing the nutrients in stormwater going into the Gulf of Mexico could reduce the duration of a red tide bloom.  

Stormwater runoff gets nutrients from our actions on land. There are so many things you can do at a personal level to reduce nutrients from getting into stormwater.  You can plant Florida-Friendly Landscaping ^TM; pick up your pet waste (even in your backyard); keep vegetation out of the stormwater system, and stop watering your streets, sidewalks, and driveways.  Even if you live in a HOA you can work with your association to make sure the right lake management and landscaping contractors are chosen.  Make sure you and your contractors are following regulations such as the fertilizer ordinance, the pollution control and prevention ordinance, and the irrigation ordinance.  Make sure you and your contractors are using best management practices such as mechanical harvesting instead of spraying herbicides into your pond.  There are so many small changes that will make a big difference in our water quality! For more information visit www.livegreensaveblue.com. 

Staff coordinates with local and state agencies such as City of Naples, City of Marco, Rookery Bay, Delnor Wiggins State Park, Tourism, The Conservancy of SW Florida, Coastal Zone Management, Parks and Recreation, Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, and Department of Health to ensure consistent messaging on conditions, notifications, and if needed, fish kill cleanup response or wildlife related impacts. Pollution Control serves as the centralized contact to take reports from the public regarding respiratory irritation and dead fish. These reports are then provided twice daily to the local and state agencies listed above. We are conducting beta testing of the HABScope to monitor red tide levels in addition to the samples we collect and send to the outside laboratory, FWRI. This information is used for the respiratory irritation forecast. Collier County also provides support for legislation and agencies researching red tide.