Beaches

Massive piles of sargassum, the size of which have not been seen before, are floating this way, right now, sure to coat the beaches of Florida’s East Coast, the Keys, and various Caribbean islands

The Florida Department of Health in Collier County is lifting a water quality advisory for North Gulf Shore Beach Access Clam Pass Beach North Gulfshore Boulevard in Naples.

Beach access at San Carlos Bay-Bunche Beach Preserve on John Morris Road is going to be closed from Monday, Feb. 9, through Wednesday, Feb. 11, while Lee County Department of Transportation rebuilds a berm.

Beach dunes may look like sand covered in weeds, but there’s more to these mounds than meets the eye. It’s illegal to interfere or drive on them under Chapter 161 of the Florida Statutes. But some travelers and Southwest Florida residents are unaware of this fact, according to Jeannine Richards, Ph.D. and assistant professor of ecology and environmental studies at Florida Gulf Coast University. Richards said that when people violate this rule, the repercussions are far greater than just leaving a footprint.

Due to a beach renourishment project designed to strengthen and protect the shoreline between Blind Pass and Bowman's Beach Park, the Blind Pass Beach parking lot will be closed for staging equipment beginning tonight (Friday evening, November 21).

The Florida Department of Health in Lee County said that tests completed this week found the previously high level of enterococcus has decreased to an acceptable level, and it has lifted its advisory.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed a bill reversing a controversial 2018 law that led to limited public beach access in some areas. Lawmakers in April passed the bill (SB 1622) after widespread complaints about waterfront property owners in Walton County preventing people from using beaches.

It’s sea turtle nesting season, and everyone knows what that means — turn off your lights at night. Flipping your light switch is an easy way to feel like an environmental superstar, but what else can you do to support these little turtles?

Battered by hurricanes and heavy tourism, Lee County’s beaches are fighting a quiet battle: an overwhelming tide of trash. From mangroves to the sandy shores, volunteers have hauled away tens of thousands of pounds of debris this past year, a stubborn reminder that paradise needs constant protection.In the past year alone, cleanup crews and volunteers in Lee County have collected more than 50,000 pounds of trash from beaches, waterways, and mangroves. Powerful storms and careless visitors dumped much of the stuff on the coastline.

The Captiva Erosion Prevention District will hold a public hearing Monday on a tentative apportionment for a beach renourishment project set to start this summer.The estimated $26.67 million project cost will be paid, partly, through special assessments imposed on the properties that benefit.