Call the DOH-Martin County office with concerns or questions at 77.If you have other health questions or concerns about blue-green algae blooms, call the Florida Department of Health in Martin County at 77.įor more information on toxic algae blooms.Contact your veterinarian if you believe your pet has become ill after consuming or having contact with water containing blue-green algae.Report symptoms from exposure to a harmful algal bloom or any aquatic toxin to the Florida Poison Information Center at 80.Report fish kills to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute at 80.Report it to DEP online or via its toll-free hotline at 85.The public is encouraged to stay informed. Do not eat shellfish in waters with algae blooms. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) monitoring is concurrent with the water recreation season, April 1 through October 31.Rinse fish fillets with tap or bottled water, throw out the guts and cook fish well. A bloom does not have to produce toxins in order to be harmful to the environment. Eating fillets from healthy fish caught in freshwater lakes experiencing blooms is safe.Boiling the water will not eliminate the toxins. Do not cook or clean dishes with water contaminated by algae blooms.Pets and livestock should have a different source of water when algae blooms are present. Water containing algae blooms are not safe for animals. The human illnesses caused by HABs, though rare, can be debilitating or even fatal. Wash your skin and clothing with soap and water if you have contact with algae or water that's discolored or smelly. Harmful algal blooms, or HABs, occur when colonies of algae simple plants that live in the sea and freshwater grow out of control and produce toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals and birds.Do not drink, swim, wade, use personal watercraft, water ski or boat in waters where there is a visible blue-green algae bloom.The Florida Department of Health office in Martin County advises people to take these precautions: The agency was not aware of the toxic algae and did not immediately answer TCPalm's question about whether it will continue or suspend discharges. Stuart bridge closure: Brightline changed dates to accommodate boaters, businesses How's the water? Map shows real-time bacteria counts at Florida beaches TCPalm investigation: Data proves Florida pollution prevention not working 22 to slowly lower the lake level in preparation of the June 1 start of hurricane season. Lucie River because the Army Corps of Engineers is discharging excess Lake O water through the canal. The toxic algae can flow farther east toward Stuart and the St. Lucie Canal, in Martin County.Īt 8 parts per billion, the toxin makes water too hazardous to touch, ingest or inhale for people, pets and wildlife, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. 22 in the C-44 Canal, also called the St. The cyanobacteria, more commonly called "blue-green algae," contained the toxin microcystin measuring 0.62 parts per billion in water samples taken Feb. ![]() Lucie River, according to a state health alert issued Friday. The public should avoid contact with toxic algae in the canal that connects Lake Okeechobee and the St.
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