Weekly water clarity report

US Coastal Water Clarity — Week of Aug 17-23, 2026

Published Aug 25, 2026

US coastal water clarity this week: 3 region(s) clearing, 1 region(s) declining, 2 region(s) steady. Notable: Mid-Atlantic & Gulf Coast clearing — read up 14.1 ft week-over-week.

Regional clarity model read — feet01020304050Hawaii52.6 ftFlorida Keys & South Atlantic39.3 ftMid-Atlantic & Gulf Coast31.1 ftFlorida Gulf Coast20.1 ftSouthern California18.9 ftNortheast Atlantic15.1 ftimprovingstabledecliningno data

Regional reads

Florida Keys & South Atlantic 39.3 ft +3.9 ft

Submarius's clarity model read Florida Keys & South Atlantic at 39.3 ft regional average; up 3.9 ft vs the prior week's read.

Florida Gulf Coast 20.1 ft stable

Submarius's clarity model read Florida Gulf Coast at 20.1 ft regional average; consistent with the prior week's read.

Southern California 18.9 ft stable

Submarius's clarity model read Southern California at 18.9 ft regional average; consistent with the prior week's read.

Hawaii 52.6 ft +1.9 ft

Submarius's clarity model read Hawaii at 52.6 ft regional average; up 1.9 ft vs the prior week's read.

Northeast Atlantic 15.1 ft -3.3 ft

Submarius's clarity model read Northeast Atlantic at 15.1 ft regional average; down 3.3 ft vs the prior week's read.

Mid-Atlantic & Gulf Coast 31.1 ft +14.1 ft

Submarius's clarity model read Mid-Atlantic & Gulf Coast at 31.1 ft regional average; up 14.1 ft vs the prior week's read.

Notable events

Mid-Atlantic & Gulf Coast clearing — read up 14.1 ft week-over-week
Submarius's clarity model read Mid-Atlantic & Gulf Coast at 31.1 ft regional average this week, up 14.1 ft from the prior week's read. The trend supports the next 7-day windows highlighted in the in-app verdict.

How the model works

Submarius estimates horizontal underwater visibility for any coastal point. It starts from that location's typical clarity for the time of year, built from in water measurements and satellite ocean color, then subtracts what changes day to day: wave stirring judged against depth and bottom type, river and runoff plumes, and tide driven water movement. Each estimate shows its data sources and how fresh they are. The underlying optics draw on Lee et al. 2015. See the methodology overview, the plain English conditions guide, and the glossary for the full picture.

Per-location and arbitrary-lat/lon clarity reads are available in the Submarius app. This weekly report publishes only regional aggregates so the model's recipe stays protected while the outcomes stay public.

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Model read taken Aug 24, 2026 at 06:57 UTC. Subscribe via RSS.