ICYMI: Get Tampa Bay Area Beach Condition Reports Online

As red tide blooms continue to appear in Tampa Bay area waters, Mote Marine Laboratory has announced upgrades to its Beach Conditions Reporting System.

The reporting system is a real-time beach monitoring tool that enables residents and visitors alike to check on the conditions at 27 beaches along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Data on the site is updated twice daily by trained volunteers, including lifeguards and park rangers.

“The BCRS website was launched by Mote in 2006 to help beachgoers avoid the effects of naturally occurring Florida red tide algae, and since then it has incorporated many other kinds of beach information, such as wind direction, surf height and rip current monitoring,” Mote explained in a media release announcing the upgrades.

Use of the site has grown since the updated site launched Nov. 15, Mote reported.

“The site has hosted almost 7,300 users with 574 page views per day on average,” the release said. “The highest count during this period was 870 views per day. Users hail from as far away as Japan, Australia and Europe.”

The upgrades are designed to make the site more user friendly and mobile accessible. New types of information about local beaches can also be accessed.

See Also:

• Red Tide Concerns Linger in Tampa Bay Area

Funding for BCRS is provided by local businesses and agencies, Mote said.

A smartphone app is hoped to be launched in early 2016 to make the site even more accessible.

“With this upgraded site, we are providing more of the information that any Florida beachgoer would want, any time of the year,” said Dr. Tracy Fanara, manager of Mote’s Environmental Health Program. “We’re trying to make this a one-stop shop, whether you’re looking for updates on Florida red tide effects or other beach information.”

The new website, which covers beaches throughout the Bay area, is located atwww.visitbeaches.org.

Tourism agencies, businesses or municipalities that want to help sponsor BCRS can contact Tracy Fanara at tfanara@mote.org or by calling 941-302-2046.

Photo courtesy of Mote Marine Laboratory