Heading to the Gulf Coast of Florida for a weekend getaway? What to know about red tide

If you’re heading to the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend, take note of the red tide forecast.

USF’s Ocean Circulation Lab has a red tide forecast through Monday. The weekend projections indicate the algae bloom to be at very low, low and medium levels along Manatee County’s shores.

Here’s what else to know:

Red tide forecast

Levels: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s latest red tide report indicates background to medium levels of the algae bloom from two water samples collected in Manatee County.

Samples:

▪ The organism causing red tide, Karenia brevis, was detected in 14 samples along Southwest Florida with Charlotte County seeing the worst of the conditions with background to high levels.