What’s in the water?
The Florida Gulf Coast University Water School, in conjunction with the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce Water Foundation, will be conducting water testing throughout Fort Myers Beach this Saturday and needs the public’s help.
Members of the public are invited to pick up water collection kits this Saturday morning at 100 Lovers Lane inside the offices of the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce.
Pickup time is 10:00 a.m. and are due back to the chamber’s offices by 11:00 a.m.
There are a number of slots still available for water collection for Bay Mar Drive, Bayview Boulevard, Bowditch Point Regional Park on the Gulf side, Bowditch Point Regional Park on the bay side, the Best Western, Buccaneer Drive, Connecticut Street, Egret Street, Flamingo Street, the Little Estero Island Critical Wildlife Area lagoon midpoint lagoon, the south end lagoon in the critical wildlife area and the lagoon at the Shamron, Gulf Beach Drive, Island’s End, Lenell Road, Madison Court, Matanzas Pass Preserve, the Pelican Beach House, Carlos Circle, the canal at Palermo, Sabal Drive, Seminole Way, and Snook Bright Marina.
Those who sign up to collect water samples should wear appropriate footwear and clothing or swimwear for getting wet. Bring sample bottles, paper towels, a small cooler with ice and permanent marking pen with you.
To sign up, visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4DABAB22A6FBC34-62853792-whats#/
The full instructions for water collection are follows:
1) Wear appropriate footwear and clothing/swimwear for getting wet. Bring sample bottles, paper towels, small cooler with ice and permanent marking pen with you. Permanent markers will be available if you did not have your own marker. Samples need to be kept cool.
2) Each sample bottle is to be filled and emptied 3 times with the Gulf or Bay water from your collecting site before collecting the water sample that will be tested.
3) For collecting from the Gulf, go into the water up to your waist and dip the sample bottles into the water up to your elbow.
4) For collecting from the Bay, when possible, collect the water at a depth up to your elbow. If that depth is not possible, dip as far down as you can. If you are collecting along a canal, please try to collect the water sample at the mouth of the canal (i.e., where the canal intersects the Bay).
5) For collecting from the lagoons, keep in mind they vary in depth, so collect several feet into the lagoon below the surface. Bottom may be mucky.
6) After rinsing the bottles 3x, fill and cap the samples bottles, and wipe the outside of the bottles dry.
7) Add your last name and time to the bottle labels; put bottles back into the plastic bag and into your cooler.
8) Bring the water samples directly to 100 Lovers Lane, Fort Myers Beach.
9) Call Nicole Alyse at 239-826-0093 for any troubleshooting.
A site map can be found at: https://earth.google.com/earth/d/1G4dCBeS8V02lMP81-qGYd126OSlx0AC_?usp=sharing