Saharan Dust may Impact Southwest Florida Coastal Waters

A gigantic dust column from Africa’s Sahara Desert has traveled thousands of miles and will eventually settle over the U.S.

The dust is so thick it can be seen in satellite images, and once it reaches Southwest Florida, it may impact water quality.

Experts say it’s too soon to tell if we’ll have another bad red tide season. As of now, we’ll have to wait and see.

After sampling, it turned out to be “Trichodesmium,” or sea sawdust.

“Now the reports are coming in more frequently starting Saturday, so people are reporting seeing a couple of miles of this stuff as they’re heading west into the Gulf,” said John Cassani, Calusa Waterkeeper.

Iron fuels it, which can also come from Saharan dust.