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More than $3.5 million approved for manatees, red tide research

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Environment, Outdoors.

WASHINGTON – Federal funding is coming to Florida to support two environmental initiatives critical to the state – the protection of manatees and harmful algal bloom research.

A press release from Congressman Vern Buchanan’s office announced that the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed two of his amendments to the Interior and Environment government funding bill.

The first proposal dedicates $1.15 million for the rescue and rehabilitation of manatees.

In October, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) began the process to consider reclassifying manatees from “threatened” to the more critical “endangered” status under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Buchanan introduced the Manatee Protection Act to officially uplist the marine mammal in 2021.

According to the FWC, almost 2,400 manatees have died in Florida since 2021, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) estimates that there are approximately only 6,500 West Indian manatees in Southeastern U.S. waters.

The ESA defines a threatened species as “any species which is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.” Threatened species receive protection through separate regulations issued under Section 4(d) of the ESA.

The ESA defines an endangered species as “any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.” Endangered species are automatically protected by prohibitions of several types of “take,” including harming, harassing, collecting or killing, under Section 9 of the ESA.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a species must be listed if it is threatened or endangered due to any of the following five factors:

1. Present or threatened destruction, modification or curtailment of its habitat or range;

2. Overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific or educational purposes;

3. Disease or predation;

4. Inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; and

5. Other natural or human-made factors affecting its continued existence.

In 2016, Buchanan objected to the FWS downgrading the manatee’s designation from endangered to threatened, saying the FWS may have been using outdated data to support the reduction in protection. The manatee had been listed as an endangered species since 1966.

The second proposal will provide $2.5 million to the National Water Quality Program to enhance research into harmful algal blooms, including red tide.

“Over the last several years, the Gulf Coast has experienced severe levels of red tide,” Buchanan said. “Red tide is caused by toxin-producing algae that is extremely deadly to fish and other marine life and adversely affects tourism in the Suncoast region.”

In 2022-23, Manatee County cleared nearly 5 tons of dead fish and debris from area beaches due to a red tide outbreak.

“These commonsense proposals will help ensure the survival of the iconic Florida manatee and combat red tide, which for too long has wreaked havoc on marine life, our waters and the many businesses that rely on Florida’s tourism-based economy,” Buchanan said. “I am very pleased to see these measures pass with broad bipartisan support and look forward to working to see them enacted into law.”

According to Buchanan’s office, he also introduced the Protecting Local Communities from Harmful Algal Blooms Act, which would amend the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to include algal blooms in the definition of a “major disaster.” This change would require the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) to provide both technical and financial assistance to states suffering from outbreaks of harmful algal blooms like red tide.

Florida Sea Grant needs boaters’ help

Florida Sea Grant needs boaters’ help

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Algae, Outdoors, Reel Time.

If you’re a boater, Sea Grant can use your help. If you are a reader of this column, you know that our waters are suffering from too many nutrients, the various forms of insults that lead to devastating red tide events and other harmful algae blooms (HABS). Florida Sea Grant has launched a survey for the recreational boating community to address discharges from vessels, one of those problems.

According to Victoria Gambale, Clean Vessel Act education coordinator, “This survey is part of a needs assessment that will help determine what educational programming and resources are developed and implemented. It will also be used with other data to determine what and where additional sewage waste disposal resources (pump outs and port-a-potty dump stations) are needed.”

This survey is for anyone who boats recreationally in Florida. The boater can own or rent, and the boat does not need to have a head for the boater to participate in the survey. Although the survey’s primary target is recreational boaters, any commercial boater who serves recreational purposes (like charters, sightseeing tours, etc.) can also participate in the survey.

The survey is estimated to take about 10 minutes or less and is anonymous – they don’t ask for your name, address, phone number, or email. They do ask for your home zip code for analysis purposes.

Information the survey asks for includes questions about your boat, sewage discharge laws, your opinion about pump out and dump station equipment, where you dispose of sewage waste, where you find boating information, standard demographic questions and a few others.

This survey has an “if-then” logic model, so you’re not asked questions that are irrelevant to you. For example, if your boat has an installed toilet with a holding tank, you won’t be asked about port-a-potty dump stations.

Your response is confidential and only accessible to project researchers at the University of Florida. Your response will only be shared once compiled with other respondents.

As part of a comprehensive needs assessment, Florida Sea Grant is also looking at boating infrastructure in the state. More specifically, they are looking to determine how many recreational boats have direct access to the water in each county. They are then comparing that to how many sewage disposal resources (pump outs and port-a-potty dump stations) are available.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Clean Vessel Act Technical Guidelines recommend “As a general guide, at least one pump out station and dump station should be provided for every 300 to 600 boats over 16 feet length overall.” Florida Sea Grant will be using this study to determine if this general guideline is still appropriate, and, if not, to develop a new guideline to target counties in Florida that do and do not meet the guideline.

Based on the results of the needs assessment, they will focus efforts to promote the installation of sewage disposal resources where they are most needed.

Data collection for the study will be completed by June 2024 or earlier, depending on participation rates. Once all the data is collected, it will be reviewed for quality control and analysis. When that is completed, the results will be written up in a report. It is expected that the report will be available by September 2024. The report will be published on Florida Sea Grant’s Clean Boating webpage.

If you’d like to be notified when the report is available or would like more information, please email Gambale at v.gambale@ufl.edu or call 352-562-1134.

Boater survey promotional materials include a poster, postcard and social media graphics and text if you would like to spread the word about the survey.

To keep our waters healthy, we need the help of everyone who enjoys these natural wonders and whose livelihoods depend on them. Most importantly we owe it to future generations so that they too can enjoy their bounty, both spiritually and economically.

Group disputes county claim that drinking water remains safe

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – A blue-green algae outbreak reported last week at Lake Manatee, the county’s primary drinking water reservoir, has prompted a local water quality watchdog group to question Manatee County’s claim that the water is safe, despite discoloration and an unusual odor.

In a July 19 press release, Suncoast Waterkeeper members noted that the blue-green algae, known as Anabaena or Microcystin-LR, is a cyanotoxin that may be safe from a regulatory standpoint, but not necessarily from a health standpoint.

County says blue-green algae in water ‘safe’
Water straight from a faucet in Manatee County shows water that county officials say is “safe” for consumption. Large particles of unknown material came out of the faucet along with the water. – Kristin Swain | Sun

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, elevated levels of cyanotoxins, including Anabaena, can cause health issues in humans ranging from a rash to liver and kidney damage if ingested. The most common health effects in humans include abdominal pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting, nausea, dry cough, diarrhea, blistering around the mouth and pneumonia. Continually ingesting drinking water contaminated with elevated levels of the bacteria can lead to liver and kidney damage. Anyone experiencing any of the symptoms after coming into contact with the toxin should seek medical treatment immediately and rinse off with clean water.

The EPA also warns that pets, livestock and other animals also can be adversely affected by coming into contact with contaminated water. Symptoms of cyanotoxin poisoning in animals include excessive salivating, fatigue, difficulty breathing, vomiting, diarrhea and seizures. In some severe cases, exposure can also lead to death.

In the water where the blue-green algae bloom occurs, plant and animal life may also die both during and after the bloom, resulting in fish kills in the county’s primary water supply.

County leaders say they’re treating the water with activated carbon and that anyone who is concerned about the smell or taste of the water should use a carbon filter at home.

To learn more about Anabaena and how it can affect your health, visit www.epa.gov/cyanohabs.

Piney Point-algae link explored

Piney Point-algae link explored

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Algae, Featured, Outdoors.

TAMPA BAY – The discharge of 215 million gallons of polluted water from Piney Point into Tampa Bay in March and April probably exacerbated the natural growth of toxic algae, bay managers say.

Contrary to researchers at the University of South Florida College of Marine Science in St. Petersburg, officials at the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program agree there is a link between the nutrients in the discharged water and current algae blooms.

The water was intentionally released from March 30 to April 9 to prevent the collapse of a compromised gypsum stack that held a wastewater retention pond at the top. A total collapse could have resulted in a worse spill that threatened to flood nearby homes and businesses, which were evacuated during the event.

Since then, multiple agencies testing local waters have reported blooms of red tide algae and of lyngbya, a type of blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria. Other finds include trichodesmium, another type of cyanobacteria, and brown algae. Red tide produces a brevetoxin, while blue-green algae produces a cyanotoxin; both toxins can be dangerous to people and marine life, and both algae species feed on the phosphorus and nitrogen in the discharged water.

Anna Maria Sound is in dire condition, according to Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth, one of many local residents who are sounding the alarm.

“I have never in 58 years seen it this sick,” she said. “There is no life.”

Fishing guides have long frequented Tampa Bay waters between the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and Port Manatee, where the discharge occurred, said Rusty Chinnis, The Sun’s outdoor columnist.

“There was never red tide there, and now there is,” he said. “I believe it’s a smoking gun.”

Lyngbya is not a new occurrence locally, but has been worsened by the Piney Point spill, he said.

“Did the Piney Point spills cause the lyngbya blooms or red tide problems we’re seeing? No. But are the nutrients from those discharges likely making it worse? Yes,” said Dr. David Tomasko, executive director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program.

“Piney Point added about 200 tons of nitrogen and about 100 tons of phosphorus to our local waters,” he said. “We don’t know where it all went, but it appears that a substantial amount of that nitrogen could have ended up in the macroalgae we are now seeing throughout Anna Maria Sound.”

Algae blooms have been appearing and shifting in Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico since shortly after the Piney Point discharge, according to Ed Sherwood, executive director of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program.

“I suspect that these different blooms are capitalizing on the 200+ tons of nitrogen circulating in Tampa Bay, upper Sarasota Bay and the nearshore Gulf beaches stemming from the original discharge event,” he said. “That is, the nutrients are now cycling though the bay’s ecology and the latest red tide and lyngbya blooms are a manifestation of more nutrients being available in these waters in comparison to a ‘normal’ dry season.”

Dr. Kristen Buck, chemical oceanographer at the University of South Florida College of Marine Science in St. Petersburg, disagrees.

“At this point we simply do not have data to support a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the Piney Point discharge and the occurrence of the red tide, which is of course being detected at several sites within Tampa Bay but also along parts of the Gulf coast,” she said. “Nutrient chemistry in seawater is a complex issue, and this is certainly true for Tampa Bay. Red tides are also a complex phenomenon.”

As water quality decreases, the spotlight is on responsibility for the damage.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has advised the owners of Piney Point, HRK Holdings LLC, that the state’s emergency order regarding the incident has expired and that “the company is expected to meet its legal responsibilities as site owner and operator to manage the site to ensure the integrity of the stack system and protect the health, safety and welfare of the public and the environment. DEP remains committed to its stringent regulatory oversight of the facility and to holding HRK accountable for the recent events at the site through all possible legal means.”

HRK filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2011 after an accidental spill of wastewater from Piney Point into Tampa Bay.

Reel Time: My witness statement

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

I’ve been a resident of the Suncoast for 40 years. For 35 years of those years, I ran a contracting business and have seen firsthand the effects of harmful algae blooms on the environment and the economy. I have never been more concerned than I am today and fear we may be near a point of no return.

I believe that there is a real possibility that our coastal waters may be in the process of converting from a seagrass-based system with clean, vibrant waters to an algae-based system that supports very little life and creates milky green water.

This is an economic and environmental disaster in the making. We only have to look as far as The Indian River Lagoon on Florida’s east coast as a cautionary tale. Once one of the most vibrant ecosystems on Earth, manatees there are dying of starvation due to a lack of the seagrasses they graze on.

https://youtu.be/1kSCc_tddtc

I am no scientist, but I have been fishing and recreating on Sarasota Bay, Tampa Bay and Anna Maria Sound since I moved here in 1980, and can honestly say I fear for the future of our waters and the generations of future residents who will inherit the legacy of our inaction. I truly believe that this rises to the level of a “moral obligation.”  I would encourage you to face this challenge. Let’s all work together to see that future generations have some of the same opportunities that we’ve had.

What can you do? Contact your elected officials (local and state) and demand action, write letters, attend commission meetings, join with groups like Suncoast Waterkeeper and Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, don’t fertilize during the rainy season, keep yard clippings from our waterways and encourage your neighbors and friends to speak out.

The sad truth is that if we are silent, we will reap the unfortunate rewards. I’m reminded of a quote by the American Cultural Anthropologist Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

The truth is that if we don’t, nobody will, and our children will inherit a world no one would wish for them. We can do this but only by acting, now, before it’s too late.

Mats of algae clog marina, affect business

Mats of algae clog marina, affect business

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Algae, Featured, Outdoors.

TAMPA BAY – When the thick, slimy algae known as lyngbya gets into a boat motor, the fishing trip, dolphin tour, or sunset cruise is over.

A local tour boat operator fears it may not only stifle business but suffocate seagrass and even marine life if something isn’t done about it.

Captain Ben Webb, of AMI Dolphin Tours, helped coordinate a cleanup today of the Waterline Marina in Holmes Beach at the marina’s expense. High-pressure water from a hose pushed mats of algae against a seawall, where it was vacuumed into a tanker truck for disposal.

It’s not easy to talk about the smelly mess.

Mats of algae clog marina, affect business
Lyngbya in an Anna Maria Island canal today. – Cindy Lane | Sun

“It’s kind of a catch-22,” Webb said. “If we tell everybody about it, then our businesses drop, but if we don’t tell everybody about it, all of our seagrasses, everything’s gonna die.”

Growing mats of lyngbya can cover large areas and be several feet deep, impeding navigation and recreation, smothering submerged plants and clogging water intakes, according to the University of Florida Institute for Food and Agricultural Science.

“What a pain. It gets into my motor and if I’m not careful, I could overheat and burn up my motor,” said Capt. Kim Ibasfalean, of Capt. Kim’s Charters in Bradenton Beach, where the algae clogged canals last week.

It’s also a health threat. Lyngbya can emit cyanotoxins that can cause people hay fever-like symptoms, skin rashes, respiratory and gastrointestinal distress, and, if consumed, liver and kidney damage, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Some worry that the widespread bloom of lyngbya, a type of blue-green algae that appears brown, could be related to the April release of 215 million gallons of polluted water into Tampa Bay at Port Manatee from one of the closed Piney Point phosphate plant’s retention ponds. The emergency release prevented even more wastewater from being spilled from a pond built on top of a gypsum stack that had begun to crumble. The water contained the nutrients phosphorus and nitrogen. Lyngbya feeds on those nutrients.

Nutrients going into the water from various sources “are definitely the reason we have it,” Webb said.

Since the discharge, fewer dolphins are using the waters near Port Manatee and are congregating more than two miles away from the discharge site, according to the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program at Mote Marine. The program has been monitoring the dolphin community near Port Manatee for impacts from the discharge.

“In the dolphin business, we take people out every day to see these dolphins,” Webb said. “If all this seagrass goes away, what happens then is these dolphins that have been here for years and years and tens of hundreds of years are gonna move on to find better places to feed. We’re so fortunate to have what we do here but this grass is going to die.”

Mats of algae clog marina, affect business
Ben Webb, of AMI Dolphin Tours, organized a cleanup today of mats of lyngbya algae at a Holmes Beach marina that was blocking tour and fishing boats. – Rusty Chinnis | Sun

Scientists taking water samples to monitor the effects of the Piney Point discharge said today that there is no known connection between the nutrients in the release and any algae blooms.

Red tide is the more pressing threat, particularly in late summer and early fall, according to oceanographer Dr. Robert Weisberg, with the University of South Florida College of Marine Science in St. Petersburg.

“It’s a little too early now to prognosticate about what’s going to happen then,” he said.

Meanwhile, water monitoring continues.

No cyanotoxins – the neurotoxins that are produced by blue-green algae – were detected in the water samples taken in Tampa Bay on May 18, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Results taken from samples on May 20 are pending.

Large-scale removal of lyngbya is difficult, partly because of the potential for damage to seagrass and mangroves in some areas, and partly due to the volume of the algae and its mobility due to winds and tides, according to Damon Moore, with the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department. The department is tracking a lyngbya bloom at Robinson Preserve in west Bradenton.

“It is not feasible to remove the extraordinary biomass of lyngbya during these bloom events on a bay-wide scale,” he wrote to county commissioners earlier this month.

“It is highly probable that even if extensive resources were expended on physical removal of algae mats… that would not be enough to prevent negative consequences like putrid smell and fish kills because most of the material cannot realistically be removed from the water,” he wrote. “The scale at which removal would have to occur in such a large and open system is not likely feasible and is cost-prohibitive. Focus should be placed on blocking floating mats entering areas where that is feasible and cleaning it from heavily used areas (i.e. beaches) where mechanical removal is feasible without causing additional natural resource damages.”

Captain Webb issued a dire assessment.

“Everything in this water is dying,” Webb said, following his day of cleaning algae-choked canals. “And we just can’t have that here. It’s just time for the business owners to step up and say this has to stop.”

Related coverage

 

Piney Point spill leads to lawsuit

Reel Time: Vote for water and land

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Environment, Fishing, Outdoors, Reel Time.

I have been blessed to live on a barrier island in Manatee County since 1980. I was drawn to the area by family but moved here because of my love of fishing and the natural world. I realized I’d found what I loved most in one place. After almost 40 years, I am now focused on giving back. I want to help assure that future generations have some of the same opportunities that have made my life both rich in nature and profitable in business.

Seen firsthand

The combination of my love for fishing and my business has, over the years, made me aware of critical connections between the health of our local environment and the health of the businesses that sustain all of us on the Suncoast. You don’t have to look any farther than the broad negative effect of all-too-frequent red tide events on our tourist economy.

Unfortunately, as soon as red tide events pass, that awareness fades as waters clear and people assume everything is “back to normal.”  Being a waterman, I have witnessed the changes in our bays and estuaries over almost four decades. In the first 20 years, there were some notable successes as awareness of water quality led to a dramatic increase in seagrass coverage in Tampa and Sarasota Bay.

Reel Time
Excess nitrogen leads to lyngbya blooms like this recent one in a Holmes Beach boat basin. – Rusty Chinnis | Sun

Changes

That has all changed, and now, seagrass meadows are disappearing at an alarming rate. The loss of seagrass (and fish) is fueled by excess nitrogen that encourages the growth of algae. The cause? Habitat loss, sewage releases (primarily a result of inadequate infrastructure), stormwater runoff (exacerbated by rampant development) and myriad other minor insults result in elevated nitrogen levels. This threatens not only the natural beauty of the region, the fish, birds and mammals, but the very foundation of our economy. Whether you’re a restaurant owner on the water or a carpenter hammering nails at Lakewood Ranch, everyone will be impacted.

What we can do

But we can do something about it. On Nov. 3, voters in Manatee County have the opportunity to approve a referendum voteforwaterandland.org. The referendum, if approved, will establish dedicated funding to protect water quality, water resources, and fish and wildlife habitat. The need has never been greater. If we don’t act soon and decisively, I fear our children and future generations will never have the opportunity to experience the natural wonderland that we all often take for granted. The cost? The average homeowner will pay the equivalent of two fast-food burgers a month. Please vote YES on the Manatee County Bond Referendum and encourage your neighbors and friends to do the same. The kids will thank you and remember you for it.

Reel Time: Trouble in paradise

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

Have you ever driven down the Gulf beach and seen flags flying on the lifeguard stands? We’ve worked out a system to alert people who use the local beaches of potential hazards. A green flag signifies that all is well, whereas a double red or purple flag alerts people that the water is not safe to swim in.

Unfortunately, there’s no such system to alert people of dangers in our bays. If there were, purple flags would be flying! In just the last two months there’s been a multi-thousand-gallon sewage spill in Manatee County, a potentially multi-million-gallon discharge from a broken sewer line from Longboat Key to the mainland and a persistent lyngbya bloom (a potentially toxic algae) that is becoming explosive in Anna Maria Sound and surrounding waters.

Worst of all, these are just the major insults that are but a part of the larger problem. I’m concerned about these issues because I am a fisherman and have seen the effects of declining water quality on fishing. Sure, water quality is a concern for everyone who lives here, fishes here or visits here. What’s less well understood is the fact that the quality of local waters is directly related to the economic health of the region.

What seems to be missing is an understanding of what we’re leaving for our children and grandchildren, as well as future generations that will follow. While this has been a theme of my columns, it really hit home when I received this letter from 12-year-old Brice Claypoole:

Who wants to swim in sewage water?

By Brice Claypoole

This week we had a sewage leak into Sarasota Bay. Millions of gallons of sewage water leaked out of a pipe going from Longboat Key to the mainland. This isn’t the first time a sewage spill like this has happened and if we don’t change things, it won’t be the last.

So why is this such a big deal? Well, for starters, who wants to swim in sewage water? Personally, I don’t. But that’s not the only reason this is so concerning. The nutrients from sewage spills can fuel harmful algal blooms, like red tide. In 2017 and 2018, hundreds of marine animals died and millions of dollars were lost in areas like tourism and fishing because of red tide. So, the problem is that millions of gallons of sewage is a lot of red tide and bacteria fuel.

Being a kid, I have another reason to be concerned: I love this island and I love the bay. They’re my home. In 40 years, I want to be able to take my kids out into the bay and have dolphins jump by and find giant whelks and watch roseate spoonbills on mangrove islands. There’s nothing we can do about this sewage spill now. All we can do is hope nothing happens, but I fear this will not be the case; I fear fish will die and people in the area will not be able to swim for a while. We can and must stop sewage spills from happening in the future. More spills will certainly happen if we do nothing.

The pipe that leaked was 50 years old; it should have been replaced years ago, before this happened. We need to tell town and state officials that we want old pipes upgraded. We need to tell them that we are upset about this and disappointed that they did not take steps to stop this from happening. And those of you who can vote need to vote for people that will protect our environment. We need to do all these things to protect our amazing bay and all its beautiful inhabitants (spoonbills, dolphins, herons and more) forever.

DeSantis Mote Marine

Governor launches environmental reforms

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Environment, Featured, Outdoors.

SARASOTA – New Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is wasting no time addressing water quality issues, including harmful algae blooms.

On Thursday, Jan. 10, DeSantis signed Executive Order 19-12 as part of his plans to implement major reforms to protect Florida’s water quality and environment. The executive order seeks $2.5 billion over the next four years for Everglades restoration and the protection of Florida’s water resources.

DeSantis issued the executive order less than 48 hours after being inaugurated as Florida’s 46th governor, and he visited Sarasota the same day. DeSantis was joined by his wife, Casey, and Lt. Governor Jeanette Núñez at an early afternoon press conference at Mote Marine Laboratory’s Keating Marine Education Center in Sarasota.

Florida Senate President Bill Galvano, Florida Sen. Joe Gruters, former State Rep. Jim Boyd, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Noah Valenstein, Anna Upton from the Everglades Foundation, Chris Peterson from Captains for Clean Water, Mote Marine President Michael Crosby and others were on hand for the press event, and many of them also spoke.

Speaking first, Crosby said, “I was so heartened to hear our new governor say so clearly during his inaugural address that the quality of our water and the environmental surroundings are foundational to our prosperity as a state. Even more energizing for me was that he also said that he will lead the efforts to save our waterways, that together we will fight red tide and other harmful algae blooms.”

Governor’s remarks

DeSantis said he spent time that day learning what Mote Marine scientists are working on regarding red tide. He also noted that water quality was an issue he campaigned on.

“I listened loud and clear to what Floridians were telling us – that they wanted action on this. We have a sense of urgency. We’re going to be seeking $2.5 billion over the next four years for water resource and Everglades-related projects. That represents a billion dollars more than the previous four years,” DeSantis said.

He plans to install a chief science officer within DEP to work with Mote Marine and other agencies to ensure the state has the most up-to-date scientific data.

“So, when we’re making policy it’s going to be effective policy,” he said.

DeSantis is moving the enforcement arm of environmental issues out of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and into DEP.

“I think that’ll make a big difference. We’re also going to have a resiliency office to look at how different communities are affected by things like increased flooding and rising water,” he said.

The executive order says the Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection will adamantly oppose all offshore oil and gas activities off every coast of Florida and oppose hydraulic fracturing (fracking) statewide.

The executive order also establishes a blue-green algae task force.

“This task force should support key funding and restoration initiatives to expedite nutrient reductions in Lake Okeechobee and the downstream estuaries,” the order says.

“I think we have a huge majority of Floridians across party lines that would love to see action. Unfortunately, I wish we could just do it at the governor’s office. We’re going to work with the Legislature, the local communities and the federal government. The federal government obviously plays a big role in this,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis said he worked with the White House and Army Corps of Engineers during his gubernatorial transition period and addressed the federal government’s management of Lake Okeechobee and discharging into surrounding rivers lake water that contains blue-green algae.

“I think we could probably avoid having to do these discharges, certainly not at the level we’ve seen,” DeSantis said.

“On our end, we’re going to move forward with the EAA reservoir (Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservoir Project), which is very important to be able to stop discharges. And we’re going to make sure the Army Corps gets on track with this thing. We don’t want it to take 10 years – that I think is going to be unacceptable. I do think the (federal) administration understands Florida’s needs, and I think they’re willing to work with us,” DeSantis said.

In reference to Galvano, Gruters and the Florida Senate, DeSantis said, “There’s a critical mass of folks here that really want to get some big things done. This is a challenge, but I also think it’s an exciting time because we can be part of solving some of these problems for generations to come.”

In a separate action, DeSantis has requested the resignations of all current board members of the South Florida Water Management District.

Mote funding

After the press conference, Cosby said Mote Marine would seek additional state and federal funds to bolster the red tide research and monitoring program currently conducted in partnership with FDEP.

Crosby also said Mote Marine would propose bill language to the state Legislature seeking an additional $3 million for each of the next five years to develop a new harmful algae bloom mitigation and technology development initiative aimed at lessening the impacts of red tide.

Related coverage

New tourism initiatives address red tide challenges

Mote’s Red Tide Institute welcomes Heil

Mote working on ozone solution to red tide