Water-Related News

Thick, green algae mats Rubicon Canal in Cape Coral

Thick, green algae was present at the surface of the Rubicon Canal and smaller canals nearby in Cape Coral Thursday.

An expert says the algae is usually at the bottom of the canal but has floated to the top. It’s not harmful like blue-green algae, but it is unsightly.

This is the first time I’ve ever seen something like this here,” Ray Graulich said. “I was out here spraying it with the water hose trying to move all the algae away from the dock and to push it out, but somehow, it keeps coming right back in.”

“I’d like to see it gone,” Bill Hardin said.

Hardin told us, when he first saw the first patches earlier this week, we worried the algae could be harmful.

“Thats why we sent a picture to y’all,” Hardin said.

We took that picture and images we captured Thursday to professor Barry Rosen at FGCU’s The Water School. He put a sample of the algae under his microscope. He confirmed it’s green algae, but not toxic blue-green algae.