Algae bloom moves in Biscayne Bay

MIAMI, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- An algae bloom that has fouled waters off the Florida Keys has moved into Biscayne Bay.

Brian Gwilliams, a fishing guide, told the Miami Herald he has seen the algae in the southern part of the bay.

"One weekend, I was in Midnight Pass and it was crystal clear," he said. "The next weekend, it was pea soup. It's gotten so bad, I haven't gone back down there."

The bloom has endured for a year in Florida Bay on the other side of the Keys. Scientists are unsure what has caused the water to become so rich in nutrients that the thick mats of algae have formed.

One theory is that hurricanes in 2004 and 2005 caused fertilizer to wash into Florida Bay. Some environmentalists have blamed the algae on a project to widen the highway down the Keys, which included mulching mangrove trees and mixing them with soil to form an undersurface.

The algae is not toxic. But it can kill sea grass, sponges and other organisms underneath.

Mark Lewis, superintendent of Biscayne National Park, said that because the algae bloom is in a low-circulation area it is likely to endure for months.