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The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.
Education and Resources
Education
Below are links to videos and handouts for more information related to HABs, seafood safety, and other related topics.
Veterinarian and Pet Owner Animal Health Resources
Resources
Beach Conditions: Red tide blooms can be patchy, meaning that conditions at one beach may be suitable, while conditions at another beach may not be.
Mote Marine Lab’s Beach Conditions Reporting System provides the beach status information you need to know before you go, such as weather, fish kill reports, and reports of respiratory irritation.
Similarly, the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS) HAB Respiratory Forecast tool predicts the likelihood of respiratory irritation, updated every three hours, based on forecasted wind speed and direction, along with recent sampling results.
Local Harvesting Status: Visit Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for shellfish harvesting status updates. Harvesting areas may be closed if affected by blooms because shellfish can accumulate toxins and may cause illness when consumed.
The Resource Guide for Public Health Response to Harmful Algal Blooms in Florida was originally published in 2009 and is periodically updated by FWC, in collaboration with DOH and other partners, to provide tools and information on current regulations, monitoring, outreach strategies, mitigation, and policy needs to guide public health preparedness and response to HABs in Florida.
Private waterbodies are not typically sampled by state agencies, as they are not jurisdictionally waters of the state.
- Best Management Practices for Blue-Green Algal Blooms in your Stormwater Pond guide, developed by the University of Florida IFAS Extension, provides information for understanding and managing these scenarios.
- View a list of laboratories that can analyze for cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins.
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