Algae blooms in St. Johns River triggers new alert from health department

3 years ago 252

Photo of algae bloom successful St. Johns River.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health successful Duval County connected Thursday issued different informing implicit the beingness of harmful blue-green algae blooms successful the St. Johns River.

According to a quality release, the alert was triggered based connected h2o samples that were taken Sept. 23 - 27. The Health Department said the nationalist should workout caution successful an astir the St. Johns River, but enactment an accent connected the pursuing locations:

St. Johns River – Lions Club Boat Ramp
St. Johns River – St Johns Marina
St. Johns River – Canal to Marco Lake
St. Johns River – Mouth of Craig Creek
St. Johns River – Mouth of Goodbys Creek
St. Johns River – Yacht Basin, adjacent Ortega
St. Johns River – South extremity Hart Bridge
St. Johns River – astatine Worth Dr. S
St. Johns River – Christopher Creek – beneath San Jose Blvd.
St. Johns River – Mandarin Point

Health officials accidental the nationalist should workout caution successful and astir the St. Johns River and those locations.

Do not drink, swim, wade, usage idiosyncratic watercraft, h2o skis oregon vessel successful waters wherever determination is simply a disposable bloom.
Wash your tegument and covering with soap and h2o if you person interaction with algae oregon discolored oregon smelly water.
Keep pets distant from the area. Waters wherever algae blooms are contiguous are not harmless for animals. Pets and livestock should person a antithetic root of h2o erstwhile algae blooms are present.
Do not navigator oregon cleanable dishes with h2o contaminated by algae blooms. Boiling the h2o volition not destruct the toxins.
Eating fillets from steadfast food caught successful freshwater lakes experiencing blooms is safe. Rinse food fillets with pat oregon bottled water, propulsion retired the guts and navigator food well.
Do not devour shellfish successful waters with algae blooms.

Less than 2 months ago, the health section issued an alert astir perchance toxic algae at locations on the St. Johns River and Julington Creek successful Mandarin.

What are blue-green algae?

Blue-green algae are a benignant of bacteria that is communal successful Florida’s freshwater environments. Abloom occurs erstwhile accelerated maturation of algae leads to an accumulation of idiosyncratic cells that discolor h2o and often nutrient floating mats that emit unpleasant odors.

Some biology factors that lend to blue-green algae blooms are sunny days, lukewarm h2o temperatures, inactive h2o conditions and excess nutrients. Blooms tin look year-round but are much predominant successful summertime and fall.

Are blue-green algae harmful?

Blue-green algae blooms tin interaction quality wellness and ecosystems, including food and different aquatic animals. For further accusation connected imaginable wellness effects of algal blooms, visit floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/aquatic-toxins.

Find existent accusation astir Florida’s h2o prime presumption and nationalist wellness notifications for harmful algal blooms and formation conditions by visiting ProtectingFloridaTogether.gov. To study a bloom to DEP, telephone the toll-free hotline astatine 855-305-3903 oregon study online. To study food kills, interaction the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute astatine 1-800-636-0511.

Report symptoms from vulnerability to a harmful algal bloom oregon immoderate aquatic toxin to the Florida Poison Information Center, telephone 1-800-222-1222 to talk to a poison specializer immediately. Contact your veterinarian if you judge your favored has go sick aft consuming oregon having interaction with blue-green algae-contaminated water.

If you person different wellness questions oregon concerns astir blue-green algae blooms, delight telephone the Florida Department of Health successful Duval County astatine 904-253-1280.