Mote Marine Laboratory reported Oct. 14 that its underwater robot detected localized patches of the Florida red tide algae, Karenia brevis in waters offshore of Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island.
The robot was launched by Mote scientists Oct. 12 from a boat offshore of Venice to patrol for red tide. Scientists from the University of South Florida accompanied them and launched a second robot.
As of early Oct. 14, Mote’s robot was 28 miles offshore of Gasparilla and moving south. The robot was expected to patrol for the next week to the southern end of Captiva in Lee County.