Stephanie Byrne

Red tide is seeming to stick around in Tampa Bay area and some is making its way down to Southwest Florida. Luckily, help could be on the way with new and promising experiments. To perform one of the experiments, scientists make a mixture of clay and seawater and spray it on the surface of the […]

A new plan is up for discussion to help fishing on Lake Okeechobee while also alleviating algal blooms in the state. One of the ultimate goals is to improve the water quality for folks on and around the lake. It’s not one size fits all when it comes to solutions for Lake Okeechobee, but officials […]

A candidate for Florida governor outlined his plan to take on our water crisis. Florida U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist (Fla-D) visited Southwest Florida Wednesday to talk about his “Clean Water For All” plan. It’s one of the top priorities for his platform in the upcoming 2022 gubernatorial election. Monitoring our water quality is a top […]

A nonprofit dedicated to the protection of our vital water bodies in the region and state is taking matters into its own hands to keep an eye on water and air quality. Calusa Waterkeeper recently set up a device in its test phases to monitor algae toxins in the air at a Cape Coral resident’s […]

Sea turtles are returning to Sanibel Island after Elsa moved through Southwest Florida. One turtle headed back to the Gulf after laying eggs in a new nest Monday morning. While we’re waiting on final numbers still, the group did tell WINK News that on Sanibel, 46 of the 85 nests that lost stakes still have […]

Humans aren’t the only ones who have to ride out Elsa as it passes by Southwest Florida. The Peace River Wildlife Center is making sure its animal patients stay safe before closing for Elsa. The animal center, at 3400 Ponce de Leon Pkwy in Punta Gorda, prepared for the storm by placing sandbags outside of […]

Small creatures are at risk of being washed away along the beaches with Tropical Storm Elsa, and sea turtle nests are particularly vulnerable to its impacts, especially storm surge. While the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation doesn’t have a permit to do anything precautionary, the group does take steps to keep track of its booming nest population. […]

Something beneath the surface of the water may impact the air we breathe. Volunteers are testing the air quality around Matlacha Pass and whether decomposing algae released dangerous chemicals into the air. Sue Dahod doesn’t take her role as a Calusa Waterkeeper ranger lightly. “I’m just trying to help. I’m trying to give my abilities […]

While the surface of Matlacha’s water is clearing up, experts say it’s a different story beneath the surface. Pilot Ralph Arwood with Calusa Waterkeeper took recent aerial video above Matlacha, and it showed milky algae patches on the water’s surface. Rick Bartleson, a research scientist with Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, told us Tuesday the algae we […]

Something found in urine and fertilizer can fuel blue-green algae. An experiment was done at Franklin Lock last month showing that urea is like a superfood for algae. Based on early observations from the experiment, researchers found that blue-green algae, in this instance, gobbled it up. But, they say, they don’t have all of the […]