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Foul-smelling algae found in Sarasota waters

Carlos R. Munoz
carlos.munoz@heraldtribune.com
Kayakers and fishermen were met with foul-smelling mats of the Lyngbya wollei algae at the Blackburn Point Park boat launch on Sunday. [PROVIDED BY MOLLY BISCAN]

Local and state agencies are monitoring a foul-smelling algal bloom that can cause skin and respiratory irritations in the Intracoastal Waterway in Sarasota County.

Lyngbya wollei is a large-celled, thread-like blue-green algae that occurs naturally in fresh or brackish waters in Florida. It is carried to the waterfront by currents and winds and decaying mats of the algae that are exposed to air release hydrogen sulfide that creates a rotten egg smell. To grow it needs water above 75 degrees and elevated levels of phosphorus, nitrogen, iron and dissolved organic matter.

Related: Complete coverage of red tide in Southwest Florida

Some forms of the algae are toxic, according to a study by Wright State University. Signs of poisoning are similar to paralytic shellfish poisoning.

Sarasota County reported stacks of the blue-green algae at Blackburn Point Park on Casey Key and Indian Mound Park in Englewood.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection said Lyngbya was also detected in a sample at the mouth of Coral Creek in Placida. Samples collected by the agency at Coral Creek and Lemon Bay also detected a branching green algae called Bulbochaete.

Bulbochaete also is a common freshwater algae that forms mats.

The DEP gathered samples Monday at the affected locations and another site at Central Avenue and 40th Street in Sarasota.

"Persistent blooms are routinely monitored and retested, and staff also regularly review satellite imagery and aerial photography, when available, to inform the development of daily sampling plans," said DEP spokesperson Dee Ann Miller.

The samples will be processed by the DEP's laboratory in Tallahassee, where they will perform algal identification and toxin analysis.

Lyngbya and Bulbochaete form in intertidal areas of the seashore, where the shore is covered at high tide and uncovered at low tide. It limits oxygen diffusion, so anaerobic bacteria, such as sulfur bacteria, thrives within the mats.

The FDEP advises residents to avoid contact or prolonged exposure because it has been known to cause dermatitis and respiratory irritation in some cases.

Sarasota County officials posted notices at the affected seashores and released information on its social media channels Tuesday. The agency said it is working with state and local partners to determine the next steps, if necessary.

Helping combat the algae

Molly Biscan said she and her husband stopped at Blackburn Point on Sunday, a favorite fishing spot and kayak launch, when they saw the putrid mats. She also observed several pairs of shoes that she suspects were left behind because they had absorbed the foul smell.

"Coming down the public launch, it looked like raw sewage," Biscan said. "Some of it was dried up. It covered a pretty large area. It smelled so bad my husband almost got sick. We immediately looked around, and there were no signs anywhere. This is a public launch."

Biscan said county officials told her the algae was not dangerous, but she researched the algae and found it can contain toxins that in concentrated doses can damage the liver and affect the nervous system.

"We're scared our Gulf is going to do what it did last year," said Biscan, referring to the massive red tide bloom that killed hundreds of thousands of sea creatures and caused repository irritation for shoreline residents. "Where I am trying to find balance is keeping my emotions intact and do the Google searches and find out what I can from there.

"I'm pretty angry at our county on up."

Biscan photographed the float mats and reported them to Sarasota County officials. She has learned more in the past year about algae than she cares to know.

"The people aren't putting up with it," said Biscan, who saw no prior notices about the blooms until her report.

Michelle Lester moved away from Sarasota last year, after living on Robinhood Street about four blocks from Sarasota Bay. She said she and her dogs were often sick and returned to Georgia.

But Lester is trying to help Florida residents combat algae troubles by teaming up with local residents to conduct water testing from Tampa to Fort Myers and west to Lake Okeechobee. They have pooled money to privately pay for lab testing.

"I traveled back and forth from Florida to Georgia for work," Lester said. "When we went back to Florida, I'd be sick again. I was really hoping I jumped the gun. Maybe things weren't as bad, but I thought, well, I'm going to find out if there is cyanobacteria in the water."

Samples the group collects are sent to an unknown out-of-state laboratory. Lester posts the test results, which have indicated a bevy of algae, publicly on her Facebook.

Lester said she is concerned with delays and transparency with government testing.

"I want people to know what they are swimming in, putting their dogs in, and putting their babies in," she said. "I truly believe that since we showed this many types of cyanobacteria, along with red tide, they (local and state agencies) need to be testing for cyanobacteria and diatoms."

One of her goals is to get Florida's state and local agencies to post all of the substances that appear in test results posted at affected waterways.

The FDEP asks residents and visitors to report algal blooms through the department's hotline at 855-305-3903 or through the online reporting system at: floridadep.gov/dear/algal-bloom. Residents and visitors are always advised to avoid coming into contact with algae and to stay out of the water where a visible bloom is present.

Testing information, including sampling dates, sites and sample results are posted online at: floridadep.gov/dear/algal-bloom/content/algal-bloom-sampling-results.

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