Florida cries 'Uncle' but will Mother Nature listen? | Thumb down

Hot on the heels of red tide being confirmed off Florida's East Coast — and parts of the Treasure Coast — comes yet more trouble for the Gulf Coast.

Beaches in Collier and southern Lee counties have been inundated with discolored seawater, brown waves lapping the shores of numerous popular beaches. The culprit: a marine “diatom” called Cylindrotheca.

It’s nontoxic (for once!), but scientists at Florida Gulf Coast University say the diatom can contribute to an imbalance in the water’s oxygen levels, which can lead to fish kills if the oxygen levels fall far enough.

Because we haven’t had enough dead sea life wash up on the Gulf shores this summer, apparently.

Someone tell Mother Nature we’ve cried “Uncle!” and would like her to knock it off, please.