INVESTIGATING. TODD KERR. THANK YOU, TERRY. HEALTH DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS ARE SENDING OUT A WARNING THIS EVENING ABOUT TOXIC BLUE GREEN ALGAE ON WATERWAYS ON THE TREASURE COAST. OUR ANGELA ROZIER SPOKE WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT SEEING ALGAE SO EARLY IN THE YEAR. ENVIRONMENTALISTS SAY THE SUMMER DOES NOT LOOK PROMISING IF WE’RE ALREADY SEEING HARMFUL BLUE GREEN ALGAE. AND HEALTH EXPERTS HERE IN MARTIN COUNTY KEEPING THESE SIGNS IN PLACE AS THEY GET THE WORD OUT. I THINK WE’RE A BIT SURPRISED THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON. THIS IS WHAT MARK PERRY IS TALKING ABOUT, BLUE GREEN ALGAE HERE AT LAKE OKEECHOBEE ALONG THE PORT MAYACA LOCK AND DAM. AND IT’S ONLY FEBRUARY. PERRY IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FLORIDA OCEANOGRAPHIC SOCIETY. AND, STUART, WE’RE GOING INTO A WARMER TEMPERATURES AND OF COURSE, WITH THE INCREASED NUTRIENT LEVELS IN THE LAKE AND IN THE CANALS AND IN THE WATERWAYS. WE’RE SUSPECT THAT THIS SUMMER WE WOULD SEE SOME ALGAE BLOOMS, BUT THIS IS EARLY. WE ASKED HIM IF HE BELIEVES RECENT DISCHARGES INTO THE SNAKE RIVER BY THE U.S. CORPS OF ENGINEERS COULD BE A FACTOR. YOU KNOW, WE’RE MAKING THOSE RELEASES, THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS MAKING THE RELEASES FROM THE LAKE INTO BOTH THIS ESTUARY AND THE CALOOSAHATCHEE. AND IF THAT’S CARRYING ALGAE BLOOMS AND WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT. OFFICIALS WITH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MARTIN COUNTY SAY THEY ISSUED A HEALTH ALERT AFTER WATER SAMPLES SHOW TRACES OF HARMFUL BLUE GREEN ALGAE IN THE WATER. PERRY IS URGING ANYONE WHO COMES IN CONTACT WITH THE WATER TO BE CAUTIOUS. ANY LEVEL OF TOXICITY OUGHT TO BE DETERMINED AND IT OUGHT TO BE WHERE IT IS AND HOW HARMFUL IT COULD BE. AND SO I APPRECIATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PUTTING OUT A WARNING AND SAYING YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF THIS. AND PORT MAYAC