by, John Cassani
As of this writing, a massive blue-green algal bloom has blanketed 60 miles of the Caloosahatchee River and has migrated as far downstream as Shell Point. The bloom is toxic and dangerous to people, pets and wildlife. Calusa Waterkeeper was the first to report toxin concentrations in the river. The occurrence of the blue-green bloom is unfortunate since red tide has been very damaging to coastal fish and wildlife and adds to the damage occurring to the Caloosahatchee River. The current thinking is that the massive loading of nutrients from upstream sources including urban and agriculture have perpetuated the red tide and initiated the blue-green bloom as the water temperature has risen. A secondary effect 
of the blue-green bloom can occur from decomposing cells that drive the dissolved oxygen level down to dangerous levels often causing a fish kill. I hope that as you read this the bloom in the Caloosahatchee will have dissipated and red tide will have declined. Please support our efforts, depending entirely on donations, by visiting our Facebook page or website at www.calusawaterkeeper.org.