by Calusa Waterkeeper | Sep 9, 2024 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Lake Okeechobee, Press
Originally published in Gulfshore Business by John Guerra on September 9, 2024 Under LOSOM, if there’s an active red tide in the Gulf and blue-green algae in the lake, the Army Corps can decide against releasing water from the 730-square-mile freshwater lake until...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Aug 30, 2024 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Press, Stormwater
Originally published in the Fort Myers News-Press by Chad Gillis on August 30, 2024 The waters in Matlacha Pass have cleared after post-Debby conditions caused a fish kill there. Tropical Storm Debby dropped several inches of rain across the region, and a lot of that...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Aug 26, 2024 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Lake Okeechobee, Press
Originally published in the Fort Myers News-Press by Chad Gillis on August 26, 2024 Calusa Waterkeeper Codty Pierce said only time will tell how well LOSOM works for the Caloosahatchee River. “We have yet to see how things are going to react,” Pierce said....
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Aug 23, 2024 | Featured, Harmful Algal Blooms, Matlacha Pass Water Quality, Stormwater, Water Testing
Recently, I was asked to speak on The Chamber of Southwest Florida’s water quality panel. The host, Peter Busch of NBC-2, asked each panelist to rate the current state of our water quality on a scale of 1-10. The responses from those directly responsible for...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Aug 15, 2024 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Press, Stormwater
Originally published in the Fort Myers News-Press by Chad Gillis on August 15, 2024 There’s a fish kill going on in Matlacha Pass, and some water experts think it’s due to a lack of oxygen in the water. Warm waters, the idea goes, have lowered oxygen...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Aug 15, 2024 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Press, Stormwater
Originally published on NBC-2 by Rachel Whelan on August 15, 2024 New images from a local environmental organization are showing shocking water quality conditions off our coast. Calusa Waterkeeper Codty Pierce is documenting our water conditions in the wake of...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Aug 14, 2024 | Featured, Harmful Algal Blooms, Press, Stormwater
Originally published on Fox4 by Andrew Shipley on August 14, 2024 A little over a week ago, Hurricane Debby dumped millions of gallons of water across Southwest Florida. Now question is what is in that water and what is it doing to our environment as it pushes out...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Aug 14, 2024 | Featured, Harmful Algal Blooms, Press, Stormwater
Originally published in the Fort Myers News-Press by Chad Gillis on August 13, 2024 Tropical Storm Debby played out similar to National Weather Service forecasts for Southwest Florida with impacts to homes, businesses, roads and cars. And although nature has evolved...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Aug 13, 2024 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Press, Water Testing
Originally published on Fox4 by Domingo Murray on August 13, 2024 “We’ve had dead fish at the shoreline, many times, not a whole lot… about a dozen times in 30 years,” he said. Tuesday morning Talbott called FOX4 about the issue, so we reached...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 26, 2024 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
Originally published in the News-Press by Chad Gillis on July 26, 2024 Heavy rains bring nutrient inputs from Lake Okeechobee, the upper Caloosahatchee watershed (which is largely agriculture) and urbanized areas like Fort Myers and Cape Coral. The nutrients can feed...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 21, 2024 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
Originally published on Fox-4 by Bella Line on June 21, 2024 The temperature is heating up in the air, and the water. We know that blue-green algae is something we deal with in the summer, but Calusa Waterkeeper volunteers tell me it’s early in the season for...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 30, 2024 | Featured, Harmful Algal Blooms, Lake Okeechobee, Policy, Press
Calusa Waterkeeper is among five conservation organizations and the City of Stuart, Florida to petition the Environmental Protection Agency to set limits on the dangerous algae bloom toxins that now routinely threaten the health of Floridians and wildlife. It has now...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Sep 17, 2023 | Featured, Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
A recent News-Press article (“Well-known FGCU professor accused of downplaying blue-green algae by water advocate”) overlooks the principal barrier to public understanding of Florida’s persistent blue-green algae – the calibration of exposure to risk....
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Aug 10, 2023 | Featured, Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
Originally published by Florida Weekly on August 10, 2023 and written by Roger Williams. When Susan Bennett, born and raised in Fort Myers, stared into the Caloosahatchee River seven stories below the balcony of her downtown home one recent morning, the potentially...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 26, 2023 | Featured, Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
Originally published by WINK News on July 26, 2023 Water infested with blue-green algae is not safe to swim in, play in or drink because of harmful toxins. Although, far less is known about what’s in the air regarding those same algae outbreaks. Nevertheless, one...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 21, 2023 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
Originally published by WINK News on July 21, 2023 Water releases aren’t expected anytime soon directly from Lake Okeechobee, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. Nevertheless, blue-green algal blooms are present on the lake, in the Caloosahatchee and along...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 20, 2023 | Featured, Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
Originally published by The News-Press on July 20, 2023 by Chad Gillis A toxic blue-green algae bloom that’s been drifting around downtown Fort Myers has now spread to other areas, including the Cape Coral Yacht Club. “We do have an (air testing) unit near...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 14, 2023 | Featured, Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
Originally published by The News-Press on July 14, 2023 by Chad Gillis A toxic blue-green algae bloom appears to be strengthening its grip on the Caloosahatchee River, as green slicks of the organisms are visible in downtown Fort Myers. “I’ve been seeing...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 23, 2023 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
Originally published by The News-Press on June 23, 2023 by Chad Gillis Health official confirmed Friday that a blue-green algae outbreak in the Caloosahatchee River is toxic to humans and animals. “A bloom occurs when rapid growth of algae leads to an...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 26, 2023 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
Blue-Green Algae Blooms Spotted from Lake O to Fort Myers Shores Originally published by FOX4 News on May 26, 2023 Once again, Lake Okeechobee is covered with blue-green algae blooms. According to NOAA, algal blooms covered about 260 square miles on the ake,...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 26, 2023 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Lake Okeechobee, Press
Originally published by The News-Press on May 26, 2023 by Amy Bennett Williams Had they stared into a shaft of sunlight piercing the Caloosahatchee River on Thursday morning, boaters at the Alva dock might have seen spangles, as if the water were dusted with green...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 24, 2023 | Featured, Harmful Algal Blooms, Lake Okeechobee, Press
Originally published by Fox Weather on May 24, 2023 by Andrew Wulfeck Residents and visitors to parts of the Sunshine State’s largest lake are being urged to exercise caution after harmful blue-green algae was recently detected by the Palm Beach County Health...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 12, 2023 | Featured, Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
Originally published by WINK News on May 12, 2023 Algae swirling in the Gulf Coast is bringing a smelly odor to the air. It’s happening around the waters of Matlacha. “It’s almost a matted, matted surface that resembles a mud flat, but the colors are quite vibrant....
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 17, 2023 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
Originally published by The News-Press on March 17, 2023 by Chad Gillis The latest red tide to blanket Southwest Florida seems to be losing strength in Lee and Collier counties as higher brevetoxin counts have been reported in the Tampa Bay area in recent days....
by Robin Serne | Mar 15, 2023 | Featured, Harmful Algal Blooms, Policy, Stormwater
For the last several weeks, red tide has brought intense respiratory irritation to beachgoers, hundreds of thousands of dead fish, and several dead sea turtles and dolphin to our beaches. At this moment, we can be thankful that the red tide concentrations appear to be...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 10, 2023 | Featured, Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
Originally published by TODAY on March 10, 2023. Spring breakers are flocking to Florida in hopes of enjoying clear water and white sand beaches, but many are instead discovering red tide during their vacations. The micro-organism that causes red tide has impacted...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Feb 16, 2023 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
Originally published by The News-Press on February 16, 2023 by Chad Gillis A red tide bloom along the Southwest Florida coast appears to be spreading in size, according to state records, but some experts say toxic conditions may soon wane. The most recent reports from...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Feb 13, 2023 | Featured, Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
Originally published by WINK News on February 13, 2023 Red tide is a complex water issue, and scientists who study it are surveying the conditions that can trigger blooms—sunlight, water temperature, salinity, wind direction, and speed—to figure out how to mitigate...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Nov 17, 2022 | Featured, Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
Red Tide Continues to Make its way through Southwest Florida Waterways Originally published by FOX4 News on November 17, 2022 Red tide continues to make its way across southwest Florida waterways. Some areas are not feeling the full effect, though many beaches are...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Nov 17, 2022 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
Originally published by WINK News on November 21, 2022 Red tide is appearing up and down the Southwest Florida coastline, but is it an issue you should be concerned with? These are pictures of where the cleaner water ends and the red tide begins. The Calusa...
