Stephanie Byrne

With Tropical Storm Marco just off the coast of Louisiana and Tropical Storm Laura not far behind, the Gulf of Mexico is choppy right now. WINK News Environmental Reporter Stephanie Byrne takes you to Sanibel Island where researchers are using these disturbances in the gulf to test the strength of sea turtle nests. Earlier Monday […]

Light pollution is impacting the region to the point it’s causing sea turtles to head in the wrong direction. Sea turtles’ instincts when they hatch are to follow the light. We look at what we can all do to help make sure the sea turtles get into the water. “We were having our peak nesting […]

A new health alert is urging people to steer clear of algae in one Cape Coral canal. If a person or a pet accidentally swallows the algae it could cause real health issues, but more studies are needed when it comes to questions about breathing it in. If you click HERE you’ll find an Algal […]

It’s not the same as the grass on your lawn, but researchers are going beneath the surface to see how healthy the Caloosahatchee River is. FGCU researchers we met in Punta Rassa Wednesday explained what seagrass can tell us about the water quality in Southwest Florida. “This type of seagrass that we have here in […]

Imagine stepping out in your backyard and seeing tiny, floating plants. They’re harmless, but can be a clue to a bigger issue with the water. Louise Kowitch spends her time biking around historic Bonita Springs, but last weekend, the green stuff in Oak Creek caught the clean water advocate’s eye. “And that really disturbed me,” […]

The latest tests from Calusa Waterkeeper shows that contamination levels caused by fecal bacteria in Billy Creek remain high. Neil Wilkinson is a retired FGCU instructor who has lived along Billy Creek in Fort Myers for 16 years. “For as long as I’ve lived there, the water quality has not been good,” Wilkinson said. But […]

One look at Lake Okeechobee, and you immediately can see its vastness and beauty. But it’s what’s lurking in the water that has people on both coasts of Florida concerned. Neither side wants the government to release water in its direction because of algal blooms. U.S. Rep. Brian Mast (Fla-R), who represents District 18 on […]

Going beneath the surface to figure out what’s going on with our water. “People are now seeing it in abundance in their canals,” said Calusa Waterkeeper, John Cassani. Cassani posted the photo below from a Cape Coral canal near Savona Parkway. “It’s sometimes hard to track these blooms because the wind moves them around. They […]

Researchers in Utah have joined forces with Florida Gulf Coast University’s water school to protect our country’s water sources for people and animals alike. “One of the most important things we can do is make sure they are safe in the water,” said Kate Fickas, Ph.D., an environmental scientist at the Utah Division of Water […]

The real test to keep everyone safe at Florida Gulf Coast University starts Monday as students move back onto campus, and there are a number of changes because of COVID-19. For example, student move-in days have been expanded from two days to four days, and students are limited to two helpers. In an effort to […]