Calusa Waterkeeper
In the News
Celebration of Life for Calusa Waterkeeper, Captain Codty Pierce
Calusa Waterkeeper and the family of Captain Codty Pierce invite the community to join them in a Celebration of Life for Codty, a beloved local fly-fishing guide turned environmental advocate.
A vital job, a huge heart and an old soul: remembering Calusa Waterkeeper Codty Pierce
Pierce was about to celebrate his second anniversary as the nonprofit’s lead advocate. The work could mean sampling a tidal creek for fecal bacteria one day, meeting with chamber of commerce members the next, but always as a passionate, determined truth-teller about the watershed’s challenges.
Calusa Waterkeeper Mourns the Loss of Captain Codty Pierce, Beloved Environmental Leader & Advocate
The Calusa Waterkeeper board and staff are deeply saddened to confirm the unexpected passing of our beloved waterkeeper, Captain Codty Pierce, on January 13, 2025.
The first Calusa Waterkeeper talks about his aquatic plant research that became an industry standard
Hear Ernesto Lasso de la Vega speaking with his former boss at the Lee County Hyacinth Control District John Cassani, who would later become the first Calusa Waterkeeper.
Cold fronts keeping red tide offshore for now
Red tide has been blooming off our coastline for nearly four months now, but we haven’t seen those major impacts one typically associates with the blooms.
Red tide make for dead mullet
The island had a large number of dead mullet up and down the beach over t he New Year, the result of a possible red tide outbreak offshore.
Record-Breaking Real Estate Deal
A significant question in the minds of many first learning of the deal is infrastructure — how will it support a huge jump in use of both roads and clean water?
More Submerged Hazards Surface
Bob Moro of Nautical Mile Magazine describes the widespread marine debris, floating and submerged, being encountered throughout Southwest Florida waters.
BLOWN AWAY: East winds keep red tide off our shores – for now
Calusa Waterkeeper put out a red tide update, saying this season’s unpredictable weather is actually giving our coastline some relief. The organization said strong east winds have kept the blooms at bay – for now.
Calusa Waterkeeper to Celebrate 30 Years of Protecting Southwest Florida’s Waters
Calusa Waterkeeper, a leading voice for clean water in Southwest Florida, is proud to announce its 30th Anniversary Celebration, set for Friday, January 24, 2025, from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center in Fort Myers.
Toxic red tide still being found offshore of Lee County, Collier
Red tide is almost ghostly in nature, showing up in strong counts in one location on one day before disappearing from that sight completely. Concentrations vary in Lee from natural, background concentrations to the lethal 1 million cell per liter count that was taken on Dec. 13.
They fought for clean water in Florida; they got hammered with the lawyers’ bill
In southwestern Florida, where the Caloosahatchee River empties into Pine Island Sound and Gulf of Mexico, three citizen advocates for clean water face crippling retaliatory financial penalties from their local government.