By Ned Steele

You wake up, peer out the window, check your phone … it looks like a beach day. But is it really?

Thanks to an extensive online reporting system created by Mote Marine Laboratory with information from Sarasota County and volunteers, you can find out for sure with a quick swipe on your phone or device.

Mote’s Beach Conditions Reporting System provides twice-daily updates on everything you need to decide if it’s your kind of beach day: water temperature and clarity, tides, rip current conditions, algae and red tide presence, marine life, debris conditions and more.

The information is available on multiple platforms: Android and iOS apps, a phone hotline (941-BEACHES), a website (visitbeaches.org) and twice-daily email alerts, which have more than 71,000 active subscribers. The website has had 8.8 million page views since 2015.

The system covers 27 beach locations in Sarasota County and the city of Sarasota, and users can customize their reports to include only the beaches they are interested in. It’s part of a larger nationwide network Mote runs, stretching across 91 locations in eight states, from the Carolinas to California. Florida alone has 30 participating counties.

Tracking Conditions in Real Time

The system is managed by Aspen Cook, Mote’s senior environmental specialist. She recalled how it started in 2006 in four Gulf Coast counties to report on red tide and dead marine life conditions. Today, she said, the reports have expanded to cover “all kinds of beach safety information.”

If there is a red tide bloom, the report will tell you. If dead fish wash ashore, you’ll know how severe it is. If red tide is causing respiratory irritation, you’ll get near real-time updates. The presence or absence of jellyfish is also noted.

“The majority of our data is collected by trained volunteers,” Cook said. “They go out daily or a few times a week and record observations. They upload that data into our system, which is used by researchers and the public. We have an interactive map and daily updates available on our website. People can see real-time conditions and make informed decisions before heading to the beach.”

Researchers also use the system to track environmental changes over time. “It helps identify patterns in red tide occurrences and their effects on marine life,” Cook said. “Plus, local governments use it to make decisions about beach safety and water quality monitoring.”

How to Read the Reports

It takes some knowledge to interpret the report. Cook explained the key details:

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  Water color is listed as clear, moderate or dark. Dark water may indicate red tide or choppy surf stirring up sand.
  
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  Drift algae refers to seaweed and seagrass, not red tide, which is a microscopic organism. Drift algae is typically harmless, though it can smell unpleasant.
  
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  Red tide status and the prevalence of dead fish are reported, including whether conditions are mild or severe.
  
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  Biogenic debris includes life-based materials other than dead fish, such as crabs, seafoam and driftwood.
  
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  Anthropogenic debris is the scientific term for human-generated waste, such as litter, fishing gear and cigarette butts.
  

Seashell collectors, however, are on their own. BCRS does not currently report on shelling conditions, though Cook said they may consider adding it.

The report also includes the beach flag status, which has been standardized statewide since 2002. Sarasota County Fire Department lifeguards post the flags daily and update them as needed:

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  Green – Low hazard
  
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  Yellow – Moderate hazard
  
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  Red – High hazard
  
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  Purple – Stinging marine life, such as stingrays, man o’ war or jellyfish (rare in Sarasota)
  

Spring Break Beach Safety Measures

With peak season and spring break bringing heavy crowds, Sarasota County, which manages Siesta Beach, increased its response capabilities in March. An additional ambulance was stationed on the key, and a rescue boat patrolled the waters on weekends. That expansion was set to end March 24, but a county spokesperson said officials would continue to monitor crowd conditions and increase staffing if necessary.

Lifeguards are on duty from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. daily. At Siesta and some other beaches, extended coverage for incident response continues until 7 p.m.