Red Tide Prediction and Tracking for the Tampa Bay Region - Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association
Original (non-English) name
Acronym
Red Tide Prediction and Tracking for the Tampa Bay Region - SECOORA
Citation
Abstract
This red tide short-term tracking product is a collaboration between the College of Marine Science, University of South Florida (CMS-USF) and the Florida Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI). Observations of Karenia brevis red tide cell concentration are put into the Tampa Bay Circulation Nowcast/Forecast Model (TBCOM), resulting in 1 day hindcast and 3.5 days forecast of the red tide trajectories. The "X" represents the starting point where each sample was collected. The lines show the 3.5 day trajectory for each sample. The color represents the red tide concentration for each sample. Black lines are not indicative of red tide; instead, they show where the current would take a simulated buoyant particle. These may be useful for search and rescue, or for tracking hazardous spills. The short-term red tide trajectory forecast products (uppper and lower water columns) are updated daily in the early morning.
Given the short-term forecasts and the recognition that the spatial sampling is limited, blooms may be patchy, and trajectory forecasts include errors, we further produce a more general and user-friendly map to show where a red tide bloom may occur along the coast over the next several days. This product is updated every Wednesday and Friday.
Similar short-term forecast products for the entire West Florida Shelf coast can be seen from this webpage. Seasonal prediction of major red tide blooms is also made based on the satellite altimetry analysis.