Brad Gorst fishes offshore (commercial and charter) in the grouper snapper fishery as well as for kingfish and Spanish mackerel. He has been in business in Clearwater since 1973. The red tide in 2018 didn’t impact him but the decrease in tourism impacted his bookings for his charter business. 

Scope and Content Note

Brad Gorst shares his experiences and insights on red tide events in the area. Brad's account provides perspectives on past red tide events in Clearwater, encompassing their impact on fish populations, bottom habitat, and fishing operations. He emphasizes the importance of understanding wind patterns, currents, and tides for predicting red tide movement. He says that his fishing activities primarily revolve around offshore grouper and snapper fishery, both in the charter and commercial sectors.  Recalling the first major red tide event in the mid-1990s (around 1995), Brad describes the red tide as having a coffee-like color. He says that the event resulted in fish kills, affecting various species such as grunts, groupers, Goliath grouper, hogfish, and pinfish. Brad also mentions a significant red tide event in the 1970s in Sarasota, where groupers were particularly affected. He notes that red tide events in the region typically originate from the south, with Sarasota being heavily impacted.

During the interview, Brad shares additional insights, such as his mental map of red tide occurrence and the potential utility of satellite imagery for tracking its movement. He mentions a subsurface bloom in October 2018 that was not visible through satellite imagery, raising questions about the origins of the red tide organism. Brad also speculates on the possibility of a connection between offshore chemical dumping in 2005 or 2006 and a red tide event.