LEE COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algae in Gator Slough Canal.
WATCH: Fox 4's Eric Lovelace spoke to a water expert who explains the cause of this:
The water sample was gathered on November 24, 2025.
The department says the public should be careful in and around Gator Slough Canal.
Fox 4 spoke to Mike Parsons', a Professor of Marine Science for Florida Gulf Coast University to talk about how these algae blooms and why they form. He said blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, are always present, but aren't noticed until they actually bloom.
Some environmental factors that contribute to blue-green algae blooms are sunny days, warm water temperatures, still water conditions, and excess nutrients. Blooms can appear year-round but are more frequent in summer and fall. Parsons said the canal being still, helped the bloom happen.
"They also like these still waters, these stagnant waters so when we’re in a canal, that water basically sits it doesn’t exchange a whole lot," he said. "That gives them time to grow in that area because you’re not mixing that water with tides or river flow or things like that."
Here's what the department says you can do to keep you and your loved ones safe:
- Do not drink, swim, wade, use personal watercrafts, or come into contact with waters where there is a visible bloom.
- Wash your skin and clothing with soap and water if you have any contact with algae, or discolored or water that smells unpleasant.
- Keep pets and livestock away from the area to avoid any contact with water. Waters where algae blooms are present are not safe for animals. Pets and livestock should use an alternative source of water when algae blooms are present.
- Do not cook or clean dishes with water contaminated by algae blooms. Boiling the water will not eliminate toxins.
- Eating fillets from healthy fish caught in freshwater lakes experiencing blooms is safe. Rinse fish fillets with tap or bottled water, throw out the guts, and cook fish thoroughly.
- Do not eat shellfish in waters with algae blooms.
