After a summer in which the red tide spread to several parts of Florida's coast, becoming such a widespread problem that the governor had to declare an emergency, 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 a new smartphone-based resource that shows which parts of the coastline have been impacted by the harmful algae Karenia brevis. The map, updated with new information every three hours, is an experimental tool and has been made available for the first time this month, 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,” said Gulf 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 are uploaded 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, killing fish and making beachgoers sick, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The red tide can cause respiratory issues, and those with chronic respiratory conditions are urged to stay away from red tide areas, 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.”