Originally published on NBC-2 by Muhammad Abdul Qawee on May 3, 2024
Calusa Waterkeeper Codty Pierce responded to a fish kill report at the preserve, he saw a school of fish at least 30 to 40. The smell is still in the air, despite the fish being removed from the water.
“It was clear that there was an issue with hypoxic conditions, and so that is something where the dissolved oxygen inside of the water drops drastically, causing casualties for marine life,” Pierce said.
He said this wasn’t the first time he saw this happen. In 2023, he saw the same scene at the very same lake. The lake has no tidal flow, which gives algae the perfect environment to grow. Lee County staff believes they’re looking at golden algae, which produces a toxin that can kill fish, but does not directly affect mammals or birds.
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