Okaloosa County making preparations for possible sargassum accumulation
We understand there have been reports of a large amount of sargassum seaweed headed toward Florida. There is currently no sargassum on Destin-Fort Walton beaches, but we are making preparations if seaweed accumulations reach excessive levels.
As you are probably aware, algae and seagrasses are naturally occurring in the marine environment worldwide. They are also an important ecosystem for marine life like sea turtles and small fish. While we have typically allowed nature to dispose of sargassum on our beaches, we are prepared to utilize properly permitted tools on our beach to remove the seaweed if needed.
Additionally, there are currently no detectable amounts of red tide in the waterways around Destin-Fort Walton Beach. Water samples are being collected by the Tourism Development Department and Department of Health (independent of each other) and then provided to Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for processing.
Photo: Taken on Okaloosa Island, Monday, March 20, 2023
