The recent blooms of blue-green algae off the Gulf coast have sent residents and visitors scurrying to learn more about this less notorious, but no less dangerous, cousin to the “red tide” that plagued us last year.

While the Pinellas Suncoast is not affected at this time, we learned from last year’s red tide bloom that the ebb and flow of the tides can bring harmful algal blooms to our own shores over time.

To help you know what you need to know about blue-green algae, here are several authoritative and helpful links:

For the latest information on harmful algae blooms in Florida, compiled by an editorial team comprising

Karl Havens, Director of Florida Sea Grant
Lisa Krimsky, Sea Grant Regional Specialized Agent for Water Resources with UF/IFAS Extension
Becca Burton, Communications Coordinator, Florida Sea Grant
Dorothy Zimmerman, Communications Director, Florida Sea Grant

please visit:

Protected: Harmful Algae Blooms Affecting Florida’s Coast

For weekly updates from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and quick links for monitoring and response:

https://floridadep.gov/AlgalBloomWeeklyUpdate

For a fact sheet from Visit Florida:

https://www.visitflorida.org/resources/crisis-preparation/blue-green-algae-information/