Blue-green algae task force to meet after months-long hiatus

Chad Gillis
Fort Myers News-Press

Florida's Blue-Green Algae Task Force is meeting again, after a several-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

The group is made up of scientists from around the state who make recommendations to lawmakers with the goal of eventually cleaning up the state's ailing waterways. 

This cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae is seen blooming on the south shore of the Caloosahatchee River in Olga April 28, 2020. Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani has identified nearby blooms as Microcystis, which produces dangerous toxins.

A toxic blue-green algae bloom ravaged the Caloosahatchee River and its estuary in the summer of 2018, and an equally nasty bloom hit the St. Lucie area during the winter of 2016. 

Much of Wednesday's agenda focuses on notifying the public during toxic bloom. It starts at 8:30 a.m.

"We expected (Florida Department of Health) would be putting out signage that there's blue-green algae out there, so what we want is better notice to the public of potential toxic bloom conditions, " said Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani. "The problem as we see it now is every county health unit has a different process for putting out signs or not, so it boils down to local elected officials who probably have no background in public health making decisions on public health." 

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Other environmental groups in Southwest Florida are looking for similar advancements when it comes to warning the public of a toxic algae bloom. 

Longer-term exposure to blue-green toxins can cause non-alcoholic liver damage and has been associated with neurological disorders. 

Marissa Carrozzo, with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, said she'd like to see more focus on public health warnings as well. 

"They started the conversation last year and they provided some recommendations and guidance, but it looks like the state is looking for more guidance as far as how to detect toxins," Carrozzo said. "Some of the things we'd be looking for is protective water quality standards and as a part of that we'd need water quality samples to collect potential toxins when a bloom isn't visible." 

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Carrozzo said she'd also like to see the task force address water reuse, reclaimed water, biosolids and fertilizers in urbanized landscapes. 

"I hope the task force monitors it so we don't have to keep coming back to it," Cassani said. "The task force told DOH and DEP to work on this signage issue (in the 2020 legislative session) but that didn't happen." 

To register for the meeting or for more information, visit: https://protectingfloridatogether.gov/state-action/blue-green-algae-task-force

Connect with this reporter: @ChadGillisNP on Twitter.