One of the kinds of blue-green algae that turned up in the Caloosahatchee River after first blooming in Lake Okeechobee, called Microcystis aeruginosa, is considered to be a health hazard to humans, at high enough levels. that’s according to the World Health Organization.
But, it’s still unclear as to how much of an impact airborne particles from the harmful algal bloom had on people breathing them in. For the rest of the hour we’re joined by an FGCU researcher who is looking into this issue. Dr. Mike Parsons is a professor of Marine Science at Florida Gulf Coast University, and Director of FGCU’s Coastal Watershed Institute and Vester Field Station.