Screen grab of Respiratory Forecast integrated into FWC Manatee Support dashboard.

The National Weather Service (NWS)-Tampa Bay is incorporating NOAA's red tide respiratory irritation forecast into the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Manatee Support dashboard. The respiratory forecast, developed by NCCOS and partners, provides information on when the red tide caused by Karenia brevis could be impacting area beaches so that people who are susceptible to its impacts will know the risks. The dashboard was originally developed to provide more information to the FWC Florida Manatee Program about how weather might impact manatees (i.e., a cold snap that could impact manatees in SW Florida). Now, outputs from the red tide respiratory forecast have been integrated into the dashboard to provide information about the potential location and impacts of red tide to manatees, too. 

Red tide produces brevetoxin, a neurotoxin that can weaken or paralyze a manatee or cause seizures. Manatee exposure to red tide is mostly through ingestion of brevetoxin accumulated in seagrass. However, manatees -- like humans -- are also exposed to airborne toxins when they surface to breathe and can develop fatal respiratory infections. You can find more information from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission here.