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8/12/2026

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve boardwalk to close temporarily for routine maintenance

Fort Myers, FL, Aug. 5, 2026 – The boardwalk at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, 7751 Penzance
Blvd., Fort Myers will close temporarily for routine maintenance beginning Monday, Aug. 17, and is
expected to remain closed for approximately two weeks.
No guided walks will be offered during the closure. However, the Interpretive Center, nature store and
Rock and Stroll Garden will remain open to visitors. The boardwalk is expected to reopen Monday, Aug.
31.
The Interpretive Center and nature store are open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The Rock
and Stroll Garden is open dawn to dusk daily and features picnic tables and native plants that attract birds
and butterflies.
Parking is $1 per hour per vehicle, with a $5 daily maximum. The Lee County Parks & Recreation Annual
Parking Pass is valid at this location. The parking kiosk is located at the ramp to the Interpretive Center.
The maintenance timeline is weather permitting and subject to change. Visitors are asked to follow posted
signage and avoid closed areas for their safety.
For more information about Lee County Parks & Recreation locations, amenities and special events, visit
www.leeparks.org, call 239-533-7275, email leeparks@leegov.com or visit leeparksandrecreation on
Facebook and Instagram.
Residents and visitors can also explore more than 30 locations and earn rewards through Parks, Points &
Perks, a free digital pass program. Learn more at www.visitfortmyers.com/ParksPass.
To receive updates from Lee County Government, sign up for the newsletter here:
www.leegov.com/resources/newsletters and follow on social media: www.leegov.com/socialmedia.

8/12/2026

Red Tide Status Update: August 7, 2026

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Red Tide was observed at background to low concentrations in 13 samples from Florida’s East Coast, and background concentrations in seven samples along Florida’s Gulf Coast. We continue to use satellite imagery (USF and NOAA NCCOS) to help track nearshore and offshore conditions. 

Additional details follow.

  • In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations offshore of Hillsborough County, and in Manatee, Charlotte, and Collier counties.
  • In Northwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in Wakulla County.
  • Along the Florida East Coast over the past week, K. brevis observed at background to low concentrations in Nassau County and background to very low concentrations in Duval County.

No Fish kills suspected to be related to red tide were reported to FWC's Fish Kill Hotline or other partners over the past week.

Respiratory Irritation suspected to be related to red tide was not reported over the past week in Florida. For forecasts that use FWC and partner data, please visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Gulf Coast Harmful Algal Blooms Forecast.

Short-term (3.5 day) forecasts by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides predict northwestern movement of surface waters in most areas and variable transport of subsurface waters from Pinellas to northern Monroe counties.

The next status report will be issued on Friday, August 14. Please check our daily sampling map, which can be accessed via the online status report on our Red Tide Current Status page. For more information on algal blooms and water quality, please visit Protecting Florida Together.

This information, including maps and reports with additional details, is also available on the FWRI Red Tide website. The website also provides links to additional information related to the topic of Florida red tide including satellite imagery, experimental red tide forecasts, shellfish harvesting areas, the FWC Fish Kill Hotline, the Florida Poison Information Center (to report human health effects related to exposure to red tide), and other wildlife related hotlines.

To learn more about various organisms that have been known to cause algal blooms in Florida waters, see the FWRI Red Tide Flickr page. Archived status maps can also be found on Flickr.

Please follow our facebook page for status updates and other interesting facts about red tide and other harmful algal blooms in Florida.

8/12/2026

DYK: Highlighting National Water Quality Month

DID YOU KNOW: The District's water sampling program tracks Florida’s water health across hundreds of sites. Our dedicated team of field technicians, laboratory chemists, environmental scientists and many other staff collect samples, analyze them and combine them with real-time sensor data to help guide restoration decisions.

ENVIRONMENTAL DATA: This monitoring program supports restoration projects throughout the District's 16-county region, including the Everglades, Kissimmee River, Lake Okeechobee, Big Cypress Basin, water conservation areas, stormwater treatment areas and the estuaries. 

As part of routine scientific efforts, the District monitors numerous environmental indicators, such as surface water, ground water, rainfall, fish, birds, invertebrates, vegetation and sediments.

LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS: Accurate and reliable data are mandatory for implementing water quality improvements and environmental restoration efforts. The District continues to advance key restoration projects that are improving the quantity, quality, timing and distribution of water within the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. 

REAL RESULTS: These investments in Everglades restoration are paying off. Together with our partners at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, we have completed, launched or reached a major milestone on 90 Everglades restoration projects since 2019. In addition, over 5.6 million pounds of nitrogen and 933,000 pounds of phosphorus are now removed from Florida's waterways on an annual basis, marking a major reduction in nutrient pollution. 

LEARN MORE: Clean water is critical for the health of our ecosystem and the District remains focused on improving water quality across the region.

We encourage you to visit SFWMD.gov/Restoration to learn more.

8/12/2026

Don't look to Lake O to cool down during heat spell

The Florida Department of Health in Hendry County is urging the public to be mindful of the dangers of blue-green algae in Lake Okeechobee.  

Water testing is underway because blue-green algae has the potential to produce toxins.

The health department is urging people to exercise caution, even if the presence of toxins has not yet been confirmed. 

Residents and visitors are advised that where there is a bloom to:

  • Not drink, swim, wade, use personal watercrafts, or come into contact with these waters; 
  • Keep pets and livestock from contact with the water; 
  • Not cook or clean dishes with water contaminated by algae blooms — boiling will not eliminate toxins; 
  • Not eat shellfish from these waters. 

Eating fish caught near blue-green algae

Eating fillets from healthy fish caught in freshwater lakes experiencing blooms is safe provided the fish fillets are rinsed well with tap or bottled water and the fish is cooked thoroughly. 

Be sure to wash skin and clothing with soap and water if you have contact with algae or discolored water that smells unpleasant.

8/10/2026

FAU awarded US EPA grant for AI-driven technology to combat harmful algal blooms

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have become an increasingly common threat to lakes, rivers and coastal waters across the United States, endangering drinking water supplies, aquatic ecosystems, public health and local economies. Now, researchers at Florida Atlantic University are developing an innovative technology that could help stop these blooms before they spread.

FAU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science has received an $800,475 grant from the Gulf of America Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop an artificial intelligence-guided system that removes excess phosphorus – one of the primary drivers of HABs – from freshwater systems. The three-year project began July 1.

The project, titled “AI-Guided Use of 3D-Printed Adsorbents for Phosphate Removal,” is led by principal investigator Masoud Jahandar Lashaki, Ph.D., an associate professor in FAU’s Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering. Co-principal investigators are Yalan Liu, Ph.D., an assistant professor, and Mohammed Abdellatef, Ph.D., an assistant professor both from FAU’s Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering. Huichun (Judy) Zhang, Ph.D., of Case Western Reserve University, will serve as the project’s sub-awardee.

Excess phosphorus entering lakes and waterways from agricultural runoff, wastewater, failing septic systems and urban stormwater fuels explosive algal growth. These HABs can cloud waterways, deplete oxygen needed by fish and other aquatic life, produce toxins dangerous to people, pets and wildlife, and cause significant economic losses for communities that depend on clean water for tourism, recreation and fishing.

Lake Okeechobee, one of Florida’s most important freshwater resources, has experienced recurring HABs fueled by elevated nutrient levels. Because the lake sits at the headwaters of the Gulf of America watershed, phosphorus flowing downstream affects numerous rivers, estuaries and coastal ecosystems, making nutrient reduction in the lake critical to improving water quality throughout the region.

Current methods for removing phosphorus often are costly, produce waste or present environmental challenges when used on a large scale. Some chemical treatments generate large amounts of sludge, while biological approaches require tightly controlled conditions that are difficult to maintain outside treatment facilities. For example, although lanthanum-based materials are highly effective at capturing phosphorus, they typically are applied as fine powders that settle into lake sediments, where they can slowly release lanthanum back into the environment. The FAU-led team aims to overcome these limitations by combining advanced manufacturing with AI.

Researchers will develop durable, retrievable 3D-printed structures made from sargassum, a naturally abundant seaweed, which are modified with lanthanum to capture phosphorus from both the water column and lake sediments. Unlike conventional powdered materials, the 3D-printed structures can be deployed, retrieved, regenerated and reused, significantly reducing waste and minimizing the potential for lanthanum to enter the environment.

“This award provides an exciting opportunity to transform how we manage one of the most persistent causes of harmful algal blooms,” said Lashaki. “By combining sustainable 3D-printed materials with the power of AI, we can develop a smarter, more effective and environmentally responsible solution for removing phosphorus from our waterways. This funding allows us to accelerate the development and field testing of this technology while creating a model that can ultimately benefit freshwater ecosystems far beyond Florida.”

AI and machine learning will play a central role throughout the project. Researchers will use AI to rapidly identify the most effective adsorbent formulations, determine the optimal locations for deploying the structures and predict where phosphorus removal will have the greatest impact on preventing HABs. By integrating environmental monitoring data with information on land use, weather patterns, fertilizer applications, livestock operations and septic systems, the technology will help guide more precise nutrient management strategies.

The project also will demonstrate the technology in Lake Okeechobee under real-world conditions. Researchers will monitor improvements in water quality, water clarity and reductions in HABs using field sampling, publicly available environmental data and unmanned aerial vehicles. The resulting dataset will be shared through the U.S. EPA’s Water Quality Exchange to help other communities adopt similar approaches.

Beyond improving water quality in Lake Okeechobee, the technology is designed to be scalable and transferable to lakes, reservoirs and watersheds throughout the U.S. and around the world facing similar nutrient pollution challenges. The project is expected to reduce phosphorus levels in Lake Okeechobee, improve water quality and clarity, decrease the frequency and severity of HABs, reduce downstream nutrient pollution throughout the Gulf of America watershed, and demonstrate a reusable technology that can be adapted for watersheds worldwide.

“This award exemplifies the innovative, interdisciplinary research taking place in our college to address some of society’s most pressing environmental challenges,” said Stella Batalama, Ph.D., dean of FAU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. “Professor Lashaki and his collaborators are developing a solution that combines advanced manufacturing, AI and environmental engineering to protect one of Florida’s most important natural resources. The impact of this work extends well beyond our state, offering a scalable approach that has the potential to improve water quality and protect ecosystems in communities around the globe.”

8/10/2026

Blue-green algae reported in Lake Okeechobee by Florida DOH in Glades County

GLADES COUNTY, Fla. —

The Florida Department of Health in Glades County is reporting the presence of blue-green algae in Lake Okeechobee, which was first found on Monday.

According to the Florida DOH, water sample testing is underway. They are urging residents to exercise caution, as environmental conditions can change at any time, even if the presence of toxins has not been confirmed.

Blue-green algae are a harmful bacteria that can produce toxins which can be harmful to humans and pets. The bacteria are common in Florida's environments and present in blooms that emit an unpleasant odor.

Florida DOH recommends residents and visitors take the following precautions:

  • Do not drink, swim, wade, use personal watercrafts, or come into contact with waters where there is a visible bloom.
  • Wash your skin and clothing with soap and water if you have any contact with algae, or discolored or water that smells unpleasant.
  • Keep pets and livestock away from the area to avoid any contact with water. Waters where algae blooms are present are not safe for animals. Pets and livestock should use an alternative source of water when algae blooms are present.
  • Do not cook or clean dishes with water contaminated by algae blooms. Boiling the water will not eliminate toxins.
  • Eating fillets from healthy fish caught in freshwater lakes experiencing blooms is safe. Rinse fish fillets with tap or bottled water, throw out the guts, and cook fish thoroughly.
  • Do not eat shellfish in waters with algae blooms.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and other partners collect algae samples from reported bloom locations and analyze them in a laboratory.

8/10/2026

How clams and seagrass could save Southwest Florida’s waters

Fluorescent pink and orange nail polish isn’t standard marine biology equipment. But at Florida Gulf Coast University, researchers recently used it to mark 1,500 clams destined for the waters of Estero Bay.

The marked shellfish are part of a statewide experiment that could help answer an important question concerning Florida’s coastal ecosystems: Can clams and seagrass help each other recover?

Melissa May and James Douglass, FGCU marine science faculty members in The Water School, lead the university’s role in the Florida Bivalve-Seagrass Restoration Consortium Project. The statewide initiative will examine whether restoring clams and seagrass together can improve the health of both species, which have declined locally and around the state. 

“There’s this idea that you can restore populations of clams and seagrass by themselves, but if you put them together, they tend to facilitate restoration,” May says.

The research is built around a mutually beneficial relationship. Clams filter water and may recycle nutrients into the sediment where seagrass can use them. Seagrass, in turn, may provide protection for clams by helping hide them from predators.

“The overall hypothesis for the consortium is that the clams will improve conditions that would facilitate seagrass restoration,” May says.

To test that idea, May and Douglass and a team of student and alumni researchers have established experimental plots in Estero Bay, which is adjacent to FGCU’s Vester Field Station in Bonita Springs, and Rookery Bay, which is south of Naples. The Water School team placed the marked clams in existing seagrass beds as well as in nearby bare-bottom areas. Through November, they’ll monitor seagrass growth, clam survival, nutrient levels and other environmental conditions. 

The Water School researchers are also conducting an additional experiment in Estero Bay to determine whether clam size influences restoration success.

“The preliminary sampling was pretty intensive,” May says.

Fieldwork can be physically demanding. Near New Pass, an inlet connecting Southwest Florida’s inner waters to the Gulf, strong tidal currents often challenge FGCU researchers trying to stay in position while working underwater. 

“When the tide is changing, the current can get really strong,” May says. “I was fighting for my life to stay in place and try to do the work” during one of the field days.

FGCU students and alumni have played a critical role in every phase of the project.

Douglass’ five interns and May’s lab technician helped process approximately 1,500 clams before deployment, measuring and numbering each one before painting them with fluorescent nail polish. The colorful markings allow researchers to identify their experimental animals later, even if only their shells remain after predation events.

“If we find a shell that was eaten, if it has nail polish, then we know that was one of ours,” May says.

Students also assist with monthly field sampling and extensive laboratory work. Water samples are analyzed for hydrogen sulfide, a chemical associated with oxygen-poor sediments that smells like rotten eggs. Researchers also process clams and seagrass samples to evaluate their condition and growth over time. 

Bailey Day, a senior marine science major, is helping monitor seagrass and clam survival through an internship in Douglass’ lab. 

“It’s very important for benthic ecosystems,” Day says. “The seagrass provides clarity of water, which is essential for bays like Estero Bay.”

The project provides hands-on research experience that extends well beyond the classroom — as Jolie Alberty (’22, marine science; ’25, master’s in environmental science) knows well. The Vester Field Station lab technician first met May as an undergraduate and credits that mentorship for launching her scientific career.

“I was really fortunate to meet Dr. May in her first year of teaching at FGCU, and that’s kind of where my personal science career took off,” Alberty says. After completing graduate school and a research project on environmental stressors on clams in Pine Island Sound, she now works alongside her former professor.

“It was really a full-circle experience,” Alberty says. “I went from being that scared, nervous undergraduate student and now have fledged into a scientist.”

She says FGCU’s size and location gives students unique access to research opportunities. 

“We always talk about how as an undergrad, there were a lot of opportunities that we knew we wouldn’t be able to have at other larger universities,” she says. “It’s really cool that at FGCU we can do really expansive, higher-level projects here.”

The stakes extend far beyond academic research. Seagrass meadows serve as nursery habitat for many commercially and recreationally important species in Southwest Florida. Clams help maintain water quality through filtration and form an important part of the coastal food web. 

“For seagrass beds, especially in Southwest Florida, they’re really important economically, but also ecologically,” Alberty says.

The Florida Bivalve-Seagrass Restoration Consortium brings together researchers, government agencies, nonprofits and industry partners from across the state. In addition to FGCU, in Southwest Florida the project includes the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, the Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership and the Southwest Florida Shellfish Growers Association.

The findings could help inform future restoration efforts in Estero Bay and elsewhere around the state, where both seagrass and clam populations have declined because of environmental pressures and, in the case of clams, historical overharvesting.

For May, the project’s value ultimately comes back to community impact.

“Clean water affects us all,” she says. “In Southwest Florida, ecotourism is kind of the basis of what’s running our economy. And that relies on clean water.”

The team expects to continue monthly sampling through the fall, with final data collection planned for November. While May and Douglass don’t yet know what the results will show, they hope the experiment will help identify new ways to restore some of Florida’s most important coastal habitats. 

And if the brightly painted clams survive long enough to tell the story, they may help reveal whether restoration works best when partners in nature recover together.

8/10/2026

A majority of Florida waterways are polluted. But environmental enforcement is lacking

A majority of Florida waterways are failing water quality standards, even as the state’s pollution enforcement remains near historic lows, according to a new report.

The report was published by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, or PEER, and Waterkeepers Florida, a coalition that is part of the international Waterkeeper Alliance. It is based on 37 years of environmental enforcement data, plus data from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s latest statewide, comprehensive water quality analysis.

Data takeaways

Of more than 4,200 water bodies assessed by FDEP, just over 52% are not meeting water quality standards, according to the state’s comprehensive analysis released earlier this year. For another 15% of assessed water bodies, there isn’t enough data to determine whether or not standards are being met.

In Central Florida, some water bodies failing to meet water quality standards include Lake Jesup (impaired by nutrients), portions of Lake Apopka (impaired by nutrients, plus pesticides found in fish tissue) and parts of the Econlockhatchee River (impaired by e-coli and nutrients), according to FDEP.

Statewide, most water body impairments are driven by high concentrations of nutrients and fecal bacteria, as well as low levels of dissolved oxygen, according to FDEP.

PEER’s analysis of state enforcement data reveals that “a steady decline” in enforcement actions began once former Governor Rick Scott took office in 2011.

The report states that “the Scott administration favored development interests at the expense of environmental protections.”

Between 1988 and 1995, FDEP took action to enforce protective environmental laws in an average 1,048 cases per year. That number plummeted to 431 cases a year, on average, between 2011 and 2018, Scott’s last full year in office.

When Governor Ron DeSantis took over in 2019, he was more publicly supportive of protective environmental programs than Scott had been, according to the PEER report. In DeSantis’ first year in office, the number of environmental enforcement actions temporarily rose, from 371 actions taken in 2018 to 742 in 2020.

After 2020, though, FDEP enforcement actions declined again. They’ve since ticked back up slightly, rising from 579 actions taken in 2023 to 755 in 2025.

Still, “enforcement actions initiated under Governor DeSantis are still less than half of what they were in 2010,” according to the report.

Florida’s pollution protections ‘don’t go far enough’

Lisa Rinaman is the riverkeeper, or chief advocate, at St. Johns Riverkeeper, one of 15 member groups making up Waterkeepers Florida. Rinaman said the findings in the report co-published with PEER are a “significant concern.”

“It's alarming for a state like Florida, where everything depends on clean water, from an economic perspective,” Rinaman said. “Our tourism, our growth; just our quality of life, agriculture.”

Although state rules and protections enacted to reduce nutrient pollution in water bodies like the St. Johns River have worked “to some degree,” Rinaman said, they don’t go far enough — especially because enforcement is lacking.

“This [report] just demonstrates that, those protections that have been in place, they're too lax. They don't go far enough,” Rinaman said. “And then, if you're not enforcing it to ensure that what the model is telling you is what's happening in reality …. then it's really not as good as the paper it's written on.”

Looking forward

The report by PEER and Waterkeepers Florida finds “a growing number of Florida’s water bodies, including estuaries and lakes, fail to meet water quality standards.” However, “the quality of coastal waters and streams has improved somewhat.”

Another piece of good news, Rinaman said, is a provision in Florida’s farm bill, approved by lawmakers earlier this year, that will outlaw the land application of Class B biosolids by 2028. Those Class B biosolids are made up of sewage sludge that’s been treated to reduce (not eliminate) pathogens and toxic chemicals.

However, DeSantis vetoed another bill that would have created protective regulations for Class AA biosolids, which is sewage sludge that’s been treated to a higher level than Class B biosolids.

“That's just going to continue to add to our nutrient pollution problems that we're seeing throughout the state of Florida,” Rinaman said.

After this story published, FDEP shared a statement which reads in part: "The Department disagrees with PEER's 2025 Florida Enforcement Report as it leaves out important context, overly focuses on historical metrics and ignores the significant strides Florida has made in restoring and protecting Florida's waterways."

 

8/10/2026

Cape Coral Celebrates 31 Years of Canalwatch, Welcomes New Participants

August 5, 2026

The City of Cape Coral is proud to celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Canalwatch Volunteer Program and invites community-minded citizens to join this vital initiative to help protect our waterways.

For more than three decades, Canalwatch has been a proactive, community-driven effort dedicated to educating residents about water quality, fostering open communication between the city and its citizens, and strengthening a shared sense of responsibility for Cape Coral’s unique canal system.

Canalwatch volunteers collect environmental data and water samples from designated sites across Cape Coral each month. The City's water quality laboratory analyzes these samples, providing valuable insights that guide canal management and help keep our waterways clean and healthy for everyone.

We welcome new volunteers of all backgrounds. No prior experience is necessary, and full training is provided. If you're interested in volunteering or learning more about Canalwatch, please contact Harry Phillips at 239-574-0785 or hphillip@capecoral.gov

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Additional Resources:

8/10/2026

Cape Coral Receives Excellence Award for WaterWays Science Festival

July 30, 2026

The City of Cape Coral has been selected as a winner of the Florida Stormwater Association Excellence Award for its WaterWays Science Festival.

This award honors the city's education efforts to encourage behavior that reduces stormwater pollution sources.

The WaterWays Science Festival is designed to increase understanding of local waterways and individual efforts that affect stormwater quality, flooding, and environmental health. The 2026 festival featured more than 70 interactive educational stations with city staff and participating agencies providing demonstrations and hands-on activities.

The City of Cape Coral is honored to receive this recognition. To watch the award acceptance video, click here.

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The next WaterWays Science Festival will be February 6, 2027.

8/10/2026

Cape Coral Receives Environmental Stewardship Award for Caloosahatchee Connect

July 28, 2026

The City of Cape Coral has been selected as a winner of the Environmental Stewardship Award in the 2026 Florida League of Cities Municipal Achievement Awards.

This award honors local city programs that promote sustainability, protect natural conditions, or provide education and outreach. The City of Cape Coral will receive the Environmental Stewardship Award alongside the City of Fort Myers for the Caloosahatchee Connect initiative.

The Caloosahatchee Connect is a collaborative water reuse pipeline that has the capability of sending the City of Cape Coral up to 12 million gallons of water daily from Fort Myers. The water, which would otherwise be discharged into the Caloosahatchee River, provides residents with an additional irrigation source and helps reduce withdrawals from freshwater canals.

The City of Cape Coral will be presented with its award during an upcoming City Council meeting.