Water-Related News

Red tide kills manatee, closes shellfish harvest area & continues to sicken wildlife

SANIBEL ISLAND — A conservation group released a detailed report of how Lake Okeechobee flows and red tide continues to batter coastlines and estuaries in Southwest Florida.

The report from the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Commission reviews data from January 12 -18 and explains how the current conditions affect the health, productivity, and function of the Caloosahatchee River and its estuary.

Although flows from Lake Okeechobee are within SCCF’s optimum flow level, a patchy red tide bloom continues to cause multiple fish kills, injure wildlife and irritate people’s respiratory systems.

It is worth noting, however, that crews in Sanibel have reported a decrease in the frequency and severity of fish kills.

Water clarity and salinity are making improvements around Sanibel and Cape Coral, which is good news for seagrass growth and animals who live in the Caloosahatchee estuary.