Guide
What Causes Red Tide?
A plain-English guide to Karenia brevis blooms, wind, currents, and why local samples can change.
Current FWC sample context
Sep 16, 2026, 9:32 AM EDT
2026-09-14
2 days
If the sample age becomes older than the usual 8-day live sample window, this card will mark the page as outside window and say that no newer matched FWC sample was found. Freshness is based on public FWC sample dates and the static page build time.
What causes Florida red tide?
In Florida, red tide usually refers to blooms of Karenia brevis. Blooms can be affected by nutrients, currents, winds, offshore transport, and nearshore conditions. That is why a statewide bloom can show different sample dates and abundance text at nearby beaches.
The site is designed around that local variation: each page shows the exact FWC location label, sample date, and abundance text instead of blending multiple records into a made-up beach number.
Official source context
FWC explains the organism and current status at FWC Red Tide and Other Harmful Algal Blooms, while NOAA provides Gulf HAB forecast resources.
Coming soon
Red Tide Alert Signup
Daily red tide email alerts are being prepared for tracked Florida beaches. The live site does not store subscriptions yet, so this box is a clear placeholder rather than a working alert promise.