Sanibel

There are miles of dead fish washing up on the beach. That's not all. Just breathing the air can be harmful.

A red tide bloom was found in multiple areas of coastal Collier County. Individuals with chronic respiratory problems should be cautious and stay away from this location, as red tide can affect breathing. Residents near the beaches are encouraged to close windows and run the air conditioners.

On Feb. 16, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation reported that many residents and visitors have called SCCF, the city of Sanibel and Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife with concerns about royal terns over the past few weeks and the sight of their carcasses on the Sanibel Causeway bridges. Test results on deceased royal terns confirmed on Feb. 15 that they had high levels of brevetoxins, the neurotoxin associated with red tide.

A persistent algae bloom in the Gulf of Mexico has become a huge threat to sea turtles, a species which is already endangered.

Algae blooms have infiltrated much of the Cape Coral canal system, creating a foul odor and a green, spray-paint tint to some of the water.