FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla — If you've recently visited Fort Myers Beach, you may have noticed a significant change along the shoreline. Red drift algae has washed ashore in the aftermath of Hurricane Debby, and it now stretches for miles along Estero Island's beaches.
The decomposing algae, while a natural occurrence, has brought with it a strong odor that some described as "extra beachy." Many visitors decided to stay out of the water due to the algae.
"I stepped in there just a little bit, but it went all up my legs, so I vetoed that," said one beachgoer, Oli Lallo.
Another visitor, Haila Whitmer, added, "It was catching a lot of trash, I wish I had brought a trash bag."
Fort Myers Beach Environmental Projects Manager, Chadd Chustz, advises against walking barefoot on the algae, especially for children.
"It is a bit of a hazard," Chustz said. "We’re going to work to get rid of it, but I would discourage people from walking barefoot. You don’t know what’s intermixed in there. The birds love it, but their feet are a little tougher than ours."
The town is working to clear the algae with the help of contractors, hoping to have the beach restored within a couple of weeks. However, the algae is not the only issue that Hurricane Debby left behind.
Chustz noted that the storm's surge strength was stronger than anticipated, causing a slight delay in the beach renourishment project. Despite this setback, there is some positive news. The BERMs implemented earlier this year successfully reduced the overwash onto Estero Boulevard, preventing further damage.
When asked about the necessity of continually putting back sand, Chustz brought up the importance of stabilizing the area to protect against future storms.
"If we weren't here with our buildings and infrastructure, it would constantly be moving, as it would in a natural system," he explained. "But we're here, we want to stay. So the best thing we can do is elevate, stabilize with vegetation, and get a wide beach to mitigate storm impacts."
The town is currently awaiting a survey by engineers to determine how much sand needs to be added, with costs covered by a state grant.
