Two red tide tracking products are available. One is based on the West Florida Coastal Ocean Model (WFCOM), and the other is based on the higher resolution, Tampa Bay Circulation Model (TBCOM). The WFCOM product provides a larger view of the eastern Gulf of Mexico coastal region with links to several subregions along the coast. The TBCOM product focuses on the Tampa coastal region and offers more detail by virtue of higher spatial resolution. Results for WFCOM and TBCOM are provided for both the surface and the near bottom because the water movement (and hence where red tide may be transported to) differs at the surface and bottom. Users should view both the surface and bottom trajectories. Click on either the WFCOM or TBCOM links below to see the latest short-term (4.5 day) harmful algal bloom (HAB) forecast:

More detailed description of these products can be seen in this paper:

Liu, Y., Weisberg, R.H., Zheng, L., Hubbard, K.A., Muhlbach, E.G., Garrett, M.J., Hu, C., Cannizzaro, J.P., Xie, Y., Chen, J., John, S., Liu, L.Y. (2023), Short-term forecast of Karenia brevis trajectory on the West Florida Shelf, Deep-Sea Research Part II, 212, 105335, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2023.105335