Red tide dissipates around Pinellas
January 16, 2023 - For the first time in over a month, researchers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) did not detect bloom concentrations of Karenia brevis - the organism that causes red tide - around Pinellas County. While water samples only showed background to low levels of the harmful algae, the FWC’s Jan. 13 status update relayed that people still reported fish kills and respiratory irritation from around the area. The University of South Florida-FWC red tide forecasting model predicts continued southern and southeastern surface water movement in the coming days.