‘Time is of the essence’: green algae taking its toll on marine wildlife

A family of ducks was spotted swimming in the green, algae covered waters near downtown Fort Myers recently. It even turned some of their feathers green.

“It’s got to be bad for them. Eventually it will affect all nature,” said Fort Myers resident Wayne Roddenberry.

Roddenberry is a fisherman and says he’s already seen dozens of fish fall victim to the potentially toxic slime coating waterways in SWFL.

“There’s a lot of dead fish..more than I’ve ever seen,” he said.

And now, the algae isn’t just affecting humans, it’s also having a significant impact on other marine wildlife that call those waters home.

“It’s really sad. We’re animal lovers so it’s sad, it’s sad,” Roddenberry said.

Experts at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) say animals, like ducks, that are swimming in the green algae can die if they take in too many toxins.

“The fish are getting contaminated. It’s going to get all the way around,” said Fort Myers resident TJ Caroll.

And Roddenberry says he’s extremely worried time to save those animals is running out.

“They’re trying to do something about it, hopefully they can,” he said. “But I know it’s going to take time. Time is of the essence here.”

Officials at CROW say that if you see any wildlife covered in the green slime, call them for help at (239) 472-3644.