Welcome to Mote's Beach Conditions Report
The Beach Conditions Report provides several types of information about Southwest Florida beaches during red tide events: whether dead fish are present, whether there is respiratory irritation among beachgoers, what the water color is, the wind direction and what flags are currently flying at the beaches (for lifeguard-monitored beaches).
The report includes beaches in Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Lee and Collier counties.
The information is provided from a number of different sources, including lifeguards, park rangers and other trained observers. They're able to report the information directly to the web from the beaches thanks to Mote’s Sarasota Operations Coastal Ocean Observation Laboratory (SO COOL), which has created software that automatically posts the updates online.
Residents and visitors without Internet access may also access the report by calling 941-BEACHES (941-388-5223).
Reports are updated at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily to
coincide with times of the day when people are most likely to use the
beach. The information is
date and time stamped so the public knows how recent a report is.
The system began operating Sept. 1, 2006.
The Beach Conditions Report is implemented by Mote’s Environmental
Health Program. Project partners include the
Florida Department of Health, Sarasota County Lifeguard Operations and others. The
information gathered for the Beach Conditions Report is also shared
with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which
formulates a HAB Bulletin, that predicts the movements of harmful algal
blooms. The Beach Conditions Report should help enhance NOAA’s forecast
ability.
More information about red tide
The difference between red tide and red drift algae
Mote Marine Laboratory has been a leader in marine research since it was founded in 1955. Today, we incorporate public outreach as a key part of our mission. Mote is an independent nonprofit organization and has seven centers for marine research, the public Mote Aquarium and an Education Division specializing in public programs for all ages.
