LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Millions of people fly to Southwest Florida to enjoy our water — it's the cornerstone of our economy.
The Water School at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) might be watching the water even closer than people on the beach, especially after Hurricane Ian.
We see the damage above the surface with roofs and buildings torn apart from Ian, but the impact that we can't see is below the surface... in our water.
The research at FGCU's Water School aims to protect the water with a real focus after the hurricane. From the wind to the massive storm surge, it all impacted the water.
Dr. Michael Parsons with the water school told Fox 4's Briana Brownlee as of now, their studies aren't revealing terrible water quality in Estero Bay and offshore. He added it doesn't compare to the land damage we can easily see.
However, it's been a very challenging winter and spring with numerous fish kills and red tide alerts all throughout Southwest Florida. Dr. Parsons said the school is watching to see if it's a connection to Ian.
“With the red tide, it showed up after Ian. Was it a coincidence or was it caused? Typically it (red tide) shows up in October so maybe it was a coincidence, but then it got bad, and then worse and worse. In February it was pretty strong and pretty intense," Dr. Parsons said. "Everyone worried if it was another Irma situation — but it started fading in March, and it's fading more in April, so is it going to go away?"
The public was welcomed to attend the Water School's public meeting. About 35 people showed up, including Lee County Commissioner Brian Hammond.
Commissioner Hamman said a real interest point is how businesses,
like resorts and restaurants, want to understand what's going on with the water after Ian.
“A lot of businesses count on tourism to help support their businesses," said Commissioner Hamman. "I think the other thing businesses care about related to the Water School specifically at FGCU is making sure we have a workforce that wants to stay here and work here.”
Dr. Parsons described our region as ground zero, saying it's a focal point to study water right now given the issues with red tide at beaches like Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel. Blue-green algae blooming in the Caloosahatchee River is also a concern.
