The town’s top concern is the safety and health of all of our citizens as well as keeping our beaches beautiful and as natural as we can. Algae is a naturally occurring phenomena that is typical in Florida, particularly during summer. A harmful algal bloom (HAB) is a higher than normal concentration of a toxic or nuisance algae species which can negatively affect natural resources or humans. Scientists prefer the phrase “harmful algal bloom” to “red tide” because algal blooms are not always red and are not related to the tides. However, Lee County Environmental Lab and Lee County Health Department are conducting tests throughout the county beaches to make sure that the blue-green algae and red tide monitoring is as up to date as possible for all its beaches, including Fort Myers Beach.
