Newswise — With a red tide bloom affecting the Southwest Florida coastline from Pinellas County south to Collier County, residents and visitors should know how to check conditions on their local beaches.
The Red Tide Respiratory Forecast — www.RedTideForecast.com— is a beach-level risk forecast activated during red tide conditions that tells beachgoers what red tide impacts are expected to be at individual beaches at different times of the day. The Forecast is also available in Spanish at www.PronosticoMareaRoja.com.
This Forecast is produced using ocean current and wind projections produced by the National Weather Service that are combined with cell counts of Karenia brevis, the organism that causes Florida red tide, gathered by a team of volunteers along Florida’s west coast. The Forecast shows:
- The day and time for the potential risk of respiratory impacts to beachgoers.
- Forecasts in 3-hour increments projected over 24 hours that are updated with the latest wind models every 3 hours.
- Wind speed and direction
- The day and time of day water samples were collected
- The day and time of day that the forecast model was produced
Human respiratory impacts happen when K. brevis is present and winds blow onshore or alongshore. Most people experience minor respiratory irritation – coughing, sneezing, teary eyes and an itchy throat — when red tide is present and winds are blowing onshore. These symptoms go away when they leave the beach.
But people with chronic lung problems like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can have severe reactions when they breathe in airborne red tide toxins — even ending up in emergency rooms. Health officials advise that these people should avoid red tide areas altogether and take all medications as prescribed, including having access to rescue inhalers. People with chronic lung disease should leave the beach if they begin experiencing respiratory problems, even if red tide is at very low or low concentrations. New findings also indicate that people with a history of migraines and/or chronic fatigue syndrome should also avoid the toxic aerosols.
The Forecast was initially funded by NASA and developed by the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in partnership with Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Pinellas County in 2018. The Forecast has since expanded to include more than a dozen partners and more than 50 volunteers. In addition to operating along Florida’s west coast, it is also activated on Florida’s east coast and in Texas as conditions warrant.
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