Originally published on Gulf Coast News by Bernie Montás on September 15, 2026
The waters near Sanibel have turned murky due in part to a rare algae bloom called Margalefidinium polykrikoides, or rust tide, which has been recorded in Southwest Florida for only the second time.
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While researchers say eating fish that have consumed the algae is unlikely to make people sick, they caution that it is too early to determine whether other algae blooms will follow.
“It doesn’t have the same airborne human impacts as red tide, but anytime you see a species blooming in such high cell counts, we’re definitely concerned about that,” said Jason Pim with Calusa Waterkeeper.
Pim advised people to avoid water showing signs of algae blooms.
“‘When in doubt, stay out’ is kind of one of the rules of thumb,” Pim said.
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