Table 2.
K. brevis impact levels based on cell concentration and wind speed and direction, which are used to predict bloom intensification and impact
| Concentration near coast (cells L−1) |
Offshore winds |
Onshore light winds (≤3 m s−1, ≤5 kts) |
Onshore medium winds (3–8 m s−1, 6–15 kts) |
Onshore high winds (>8 m s−1, >15 kts) |
Expected impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | None | None | None | None | None |
| Very low (< 10,000) | None | None | Very low | Very low | Beach impacts unlikely, exc. highly sensitive people (e.g. asthmatics) |
| Low(10,000–105) | Very low |
Very low | Low | Low/moderate | Will not impact most people, shellfish harvesting closures likely. |
| Medium (105–106) | Very low |
Low | Moderate | Moderate/high | Mild symptoms in beachgoers, presence of dead fish. |
| High (> 106) | Low | Moderate | High | High | Adverse respiratory symptoms in most people, discolored water, presence of dead fish, and shellfish harvesting closures. |
K. brevis cell count levels are based on classes defined by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.