Florida residents now have access to real-time information to better know which areas have been impacted by a hazardous red tide before they head to the beach.

(GCOOS)

At a Glance

A new resource has been released to one Florida county that'll provide more information about the red tide.The map of Pinellas County's coastline is updated with new readings several times a day.The red tide has been spotted at coastlines all over the state this summer, killing fish and making some beachgoers sick.

After a summer in which the red tide spread to several parts of Florida's coast, becoming such a widespread problem that the governor , there's a new tool that'll help residents fight back.

Using data collected by NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites, as well as the European Space Agency's Sentinel-3 satellites, residents and visitors to Pinellas County – home to Clearwater and St. Petersburg along the Gulf Coast – can access that shows which parts of the coastline have been impacted by the harmful algaeKarenia brevis. The map, updated with new information every three hours, is an experimental tool and has been made available , according to a NASA release.

"This new 24-hour Experimental Red Tide Respiratory Forecast lets people see which beaches might be impacted by red tide, allowing them to plan their beach activities,” saidGulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS) executive director Barbara Kirkpatrick in the NASA release. “They can use this tool the same way they use other weather reports.”

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As those satellites capture the data, it's used to better guide ground sampling locations, which helps crews locate the algae. They then use an app called HABscope to take videos of the water that areuploaded to a server and analyzed to determine how many of the toxins are in the water. From there, the information is added to the map so residents can see if the water is safe, or if the red tide is nearby.

It's a much-needed resource in Pinellas County, where red tide blooms have continued to increase late into October, , according to the FloridaFish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The red tide can cause respiratory issues, and those withchronic respiratory conditions , VisitFlorida.org said.

Officials are hopeful that the Experimental Red Tide Respiratory Forecast will give vacationers and residents more clarity about which beaches to avoid during the red tide.

“Now, thanks to the water testing conducted by Pinellas County, we're able to refine our forecasts and offer predictions on a beach-by-beach basis,”NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science oceanographer Richard Stumpf said in the NASA release. “This forecast is the first step toward reducing the health and economic impacts of red tides for coastal communities. No one should get sick from a day at the beach.”