Fort Myers Beach investigates four properties possibly related to recent fish kill

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. —

The Town of Fort Myers Beach is still looking into what is killing fish in Buccaneer Lagoon.

For weeks, residents like Jim Koskey have been complaining of a foul smell.

Along with the smell, thousands of dead fish and crabs were found by the seawall.

"It's been so bad where I can smell it inside my own house, and that's where I really got concerned," said Koskey.

As for what's causing the kills, recent test results show there are low levels of oxygen in the water. The town's environmental projects manager notes that low oxygen levels in marine environments are usually caused by excessive nutrients entering waterways through fertilizer runoff from nearby properties.

"I had hoped that it was a natural occurring phenomenon, and my worst fears were confirmed when I found out that it was low oxygen pointing towards possible fertilizer contamination or something manmade," said Koskey.

The Town of Fort Myers Beach says they still don't know exactly what caused the die-off.

Now, the town is investigating these four properties along Lagoon Road and Buccaneer Road after someone reported seeing sediment washing into the water.

Town staff followed up on the complaint, but did not observe sediment actively entering the water at that time.

The town says they are not attributing the issue to any specific property at this stage. Their goal is to gather facts and assess all possible factors.

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