Scientific evidence pointing to the health risks associated with exposure to harmful algal blooms is stacking up. One of the most recent studies conducted by researchers at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute found that 95% of recruited study participants had detectable levels of microcystin in their nasal passages, despite various levels of exposure to the water. The findings indicate that the toxins are aerosolized, adding yet another layer of concern for those exposed each year when priorities governing the operational management of Lake Okeechobee dictate massive lake releases into local waterways.
The trouble doesn’t stop there. For business owners like Capt. Biery, the public perception left behind by the Lake Okeechobee discharges is almost as toxic as the green slime that mats the waterways and shorelines of coastal communities downstream.
“It’s one of those things that will chase people off,” Biery told Bullsugar in an interview.“ I can remember times when people called and cancelled because they’d heard about the algae. It’s just not a pleasant thing to be around. It makes everything that you do on the water, particularly from a fishing perspective, more difficult. I know it’s hurt my business.”
