Red Tide

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DOH-Lee issues red tide alert for Gasparilla Island State Park Beach

WGCU Staff

The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Gasparilla Island State Park Beach. This is in response to a water sample taken on December 30.

Environment

Red tide caution set for Vanderbilt Beach, lifted at Bowman's Beach

WGCU Staff

The Florida Department of Health in Collier County advises caution due to the presence of red tide near Vanderbilt Beach found in water samples taken this week.Meanwhile, a similar caution has been lifted at Bowman's Beach in Lee County.

Both red tide maps, current as of Dec. 12, 2024, show red tide about ten miles offshore Fort Myers, which is killing offshore anglers' chances to fish with live bait when they pass through the higher concentration of the red tide organism and the water gets in the live well

Environment

Water Quality Report: ‘The Mystery of the Dead Live Bait - The Red Tide Tales'

Tom Bayles

Red tide samples are coming up positive throughout Southwest Florida, but it's offshore where it's making an impact when anglers arrive to find out the organism got into the live wells and killed their bait.

This is what is what looks like when billions of gallons of water are being released daily from Lake Okeechobee, as it was earlier this year from the spillway into the St. Lucie River on the east side of the lake. Similar amounts of water will be released down the Caloosahatchee River during the three next three months since the Army Corps of Engineers has decided to drain four feet from the lake to minimize harm being done to plants that help keep the lake cleaner than it otherwise would be and continue to provide world-class fishing

Environment

Water Quality Report: Army Corps to lower Lake Okeechobee by 4 feet; toxic algae threat

Tom Bayles

Despite strong indications that billions of gallons of water would not gush down the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers from months on end when the new management plan for the big lake was finalized earlier this year that's exactly what is poised to occur

Just weeks after hurricanes Helene and Milton sent massive amounts of storm surge inland throughout Southwest Florida, the organism that causes red tide is being found in medium and high concentrations in the coastal waters off Lee and Charlotte counties and in lower but significant numbers off Sarasota, Manatee, and Pinellas counties.

Environment

Environmental conditions ripe for red tides forming off Southwest Florida shores

Tom Bayles

Hurricanes Milton and Helene contributing to red tide formation like after Hurricane Ian in 2022

Environment

Water Quality Report: The remaining hurricane season and why I hope I'm wrong

Tom Bayles

WGCU's Tom Bayles predicts hurricane season will heat up and, if so, he believes a Category 2 or 3 hurricane may be in Southwest Florida's near future. He hopes he's wrong.

Here we go again. Like Hurricane Idalia last year, the tropical system named Debby on Saturday is sure to rile up the ocean and turn the sky menacing colors during its brush by of Southwest Florida on its way to landfall in the Big Bend. But this time, even without a direct hit, the effect of the storm on the beach of Southwest Florida could be more like the months after Hurricane Ian

Environment

Water Quality Report: Hurricanes, polluted waters, red tides. Sound familiar?

Tom Bayles

A lot surrounding Hurricane Debby's arrival brings back memories of Hurricanes Ian and Idalia and the water quality problems they caused. Will it happen again?

Medical researchers and medicine makers are finding a consensus that cyanobacteria in blue-green algae and Karenia brevis in red tide, among other elements in harmful algae, may end up producing a bunch of little healthy things that when properly synthesized by licensed pharmacognosists can combat even heavyweight diseases from cystic fibrosis to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and even cancer,

Environment

Water Quality Report: Researchers believe elements in harmful algae will be helpful

Tom Bayles

Blue-green algae's cyanobacteria and red tide Karenia brevis possess types of little healthy things that when properly synthesized by licensed medical researchers can fight a host of diseases

A recent survey of frogs and toads identified by their grunts, ribbits, and trills discovered the pig frog is the only one of nine species still missing after Hurricane Ian lashed the island in September 2022

Environment

Water Quality Report: Pig frogs still AWOL from Sanibel Island

Tom Bayles

Nobody has heard the pig frog grunt on Sanibel Island since Hurricane Ian.

Red tide is not normally this colorful, but researchers are discovering it can also be deadly when it does not discolor the water at all

Environment

Water Quality Report: How red tide can be here, but not be here. Wait. What?

Tom Bayles

I can explain how red tide can be here and not be here simultaneously. Part of it lies in how that sneaky basic component of red tide, Karenia brevis, is, along with the vernacular use of “red tide” versus the scientific meaning. And seagulls.