LEE COUNTY, FL -

It may not be the most romantic beach setting to look forward to--current weather conditions are expected to push more unsightly red drift algae onto Lee County beaches now through the weekend.

Many seasonal residents say they're prepared to deal with it.

Seasonal resident Diane Vedmore says has she little to complain about.

"Even though it's windy, there's always something to do. On the beach we're finding these gorgeous shells!" Vedmore said.

But it's an activity that could be short-lived.

Scientists expect the combination of looming storm systems and winds pushing toward the coastline to push more red drift algae onto beach shores

"I expect there to be more stranding events and the frequency of those stranding events is probably once every two weeks," Dr. Eric Mildbrandt, SCCF Marine Lab Director.

Researchers at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation are studying the growth and believe the algae is tied to the Lake O fresh water releases from last summer.

"It's a very patchy phenomena so most times you'll find it washed up on one beach but if you just go down the road a mile there may not be any," Milbrandt said.

See the rest here:

Red algae returning to Lee Co. beaches