Update on the Oil Spill In the Gulf of Mexico
Siesta Key webcam
Longboat Key webcam via Longboat Key Club & Resort
Healthy Beaches Reports by Dr. Beach
7/23/2010
We are not expected to see any impact from Bonnie except for light rain. Fishing in our area continues to be great! Click here to check out a recent video shot by SCVB Sports Manager, Jason Puckett.
7/16/2010
Sarasota County’s beaches remain beautiful and our waters are open for recreation and fishing. There are no predictions of oil product anywhere near our coast.
7/8/2010
NOAA's Probability of Shoreline Threat map projects a <1% chance of impact for Sarasota County
7/8/2010
Sarasota County beaches remain unharmed and have seen no impact from the Deepwater Horizon BP Oil Spill. Below is a NOAA Long-Term Oil Threat map which shows that Sarasota County and southwest Florida have a less than 1% probability of any long-term impact from the oil spill. This link will take you to the NOAA article about these long term possible impacts: (then add the second clarification link here) http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/736627/.
6/30/2010
Click here to view a video from Sarasota County Government regarding the oil spill.
6/23/2010
See what Dr. Beach has to say about the beautiful beaches of Siesta Key on this NPR interview
6/18/2010
Sarasota County beaches are beautiful and untouched by the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill. All water recreation and fishing are open and safe. Fishing reports are fantastic. No predictions for impacts from the spill for the Sarasota County area.
6/15/2010
Message from the Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center Miami:
Surface and aerial based monitoring of waters off the west coast of Florida south of the panhandle and the Florida Keys continues to show that the risk remains low for pollution threats from the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill in the near-future.
Two vessels are conducting ongoing monitoring and detection surveys. These vessels have not detected oil or weathered oil products. In addition, over flights from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater along the West Coast did not observe oil that would pose a direct threat to the west coast of Florida in the near-term.
Sarasota County’s beautiful beaches are open, our water is exceptionally clear this time of year and the fishing reports have been amazing.
6/11/2010
Information provided by Lee Mayfield, Region 6 Coordinator, Florida Division of Emergency Management, Ft. Myers, FL on June 10: Likely areas of impact.
Based on a study of 194 floating probes released into the Northeast Gulf of Mexico during a 1-year study in the 1990s (Figure 3), the west coast of Florida from Tampa Bay southwards to the Everglades is at minimal risk of receiving oil from surface currents. There is a "forbidden zone" off the southwest Florida coast where the shape of the coast, bottom configuration, and prevailing winds all act to create upwelling and surface currents that tend to take water away from the coast. This study implies that the greatest risk of land impacts by surface oil caught in the Loop Current is along the ocean side of the Florida Keys, and along the coast of Southeast Florida from Miami to West Palm Beach. Eddies breaking away from the Gulf Stream would also likely bring oil to northwest Cuba, the western Bahamas, and the U.S. East Coast as far north as Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, though at lesser concentrations. Southwest Florida cannot rest entirely, though--the "forbidden zone" is only true for surface waters, and there is onshore flow below the surface. Since recent ship measurements have detected substantial plumes of oil beneath the surface, southwest Florida might be at risk if one of these plumes gets entrained into the Loop Current. These subsurface plumes were also detected by current probes launched into the oil spill on May 8 by one of NOAA's hurricane hunter aircraft, according to one scientist I spoke to at last week's AMS hurricane conference. There are plans for the Hurricane Hunters to go out again tomorrow and drop more probes into the spill to attempt to get a better handle on where the oil is and where the currents are taking it.
Figure 3. Paths of 194 floating probes released into the yellow-outlined area in the northeast Gulf of Mexico between February 1996 and February 1997 as part of a study by the Mineral Management Service (MMS). The probes were all launched into waters with depth between 20 and 60 meters. Image credit: Yang, H., R.H. Weisberga, P.P. Niilerb, W. Sturgesc, and W. Johnson, 1999, Lagrangian circulation and forbidden zone on the West Florida Shelf, Continental Shelf Research Volume 19, Issue 9, July 1999, Pages 1221-1245 doi:10.1016/S0278-4343(99)00021-7
6/07/2010
There are no predictions of oil in the Sarasota vicinity.
6/4/2010
The predictions of oil in Northwest Florida, which is 519 miles away from our shores, is not impacting Sarasota and Her Islands. Our 40 miles of beach have not been affected and is safe for swimming/water recreation and fishing. We are looking forward to a beautiful weekend.
6/3/2010
Information on Hurricanes and the Oil Spill
5/27/2010
Sarasota County’s beaches are beautiful and we are untouched by the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill. Winds/currents continue to keep the plume away from Florida. All water recreation and fishing are open and safe in Sarasota County. In fact, we are looking at a spectacular Memorial Day Weekend.
5/19/2010
Sarasota County's beaches continue to be untouched by the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill, which is a long distance from our shores. We have always had water quality testing along our beaches and those tests continue to show our clean water. There are no impacts to water-based recreation or fishing; Floridians and visitors are reminded that the state’s beaches and other attractions remain open for public enjoyment.
5/11/2010 - 12:00pm
Weather conditions have been favorable, and winds/currents are expected to keep the oil off the coast of Florida. Sarasota County beaches are open for swimming and water recreation, and have not been impacted by the spill.
5/7/2010 - 3:00pm
5/4/2010 - 1:00pm
Sarasota and Her Islands have not been affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Currently, all of Sarasota County's 40 miles of beaches remain open to the public for swimming/water recreation and fishing.
The Sarasota Convention and Visitors Bureau is working closely with the Sarasota County Emergency Operations Center, state officials and the U.S. Coast Guard to monitor the situation, and provide frequent updates to the public. Updates can be found at www.sarasotafl.org, www.facebook.com/VisitSarasota, and www.twitter.com/VisitSarasota.
While the spill has not impacted Sarasota's beaches, fishing or water recreation, the county is taking proper precautions should the situation evolve.
Travelers with questions can reach out to @VisitSarasota on Twitter, or call the Sarasota Visitors Center at (800) 800-3906.
4/29/10
Sarasota County is not experiencing any impact from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and no impact is predicted. This unfortunate situation should not affect Sarasota’s coast. The Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau is closely monitoring the situation with the Sarasota County Emergency Operations Center. Should there be any change in circumstances, we will post the information immediately. For more information on the response to the situation, go to www.DeepwaterHorizonResponse.com.
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