FGCU water quality event teaches ‘What’s in the Water’ of SWFL

The Water School at FGCU hosted a water quality testing event Saturday on Fort Myers Beach in partnership with other agencies, teaching volunteers about what is in waters of Southwest Florida.

FGCU, Mound House and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration teamed up for the event, where volunteers collected water samples around Fort Myers Beach and brought them to FGCU students stationed at Mound House.

“The volunteers, they’re very passionate about what we’re doing here,” said Nicole Weigold, a senior student at The Water School. “And they want to get involved, which is why citizen science is so important.”

The goal of the event was to help the community better understand “What’s in the Water” in the Gulf and Estero Bay waters around Fort Myers Beach.

The students say volunteers collected samples from 46 different locations. Another water-testing event will be scheduled in the spring.

“It’s also going to allow us to gather these samples in the amount of time that they need to be gathered,” Weigold said.