TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (The News Service of Florida)- Local governments have spent $17 million the state provided to combat outbreaks of red tide and toxic blue-green algae.
As red tide lingers in some Southwest Florida areas, and just $1.7 million in state funding remains unspent lawmakers have to figure out the next steps.
This includes determining how much more money to pour into the problems and the best ways to reduce outbreaks, including possibly addressing human impacts through agricultural runoff and septic tanks.
"We've got to address agriculture issues, we've got to address septic-to-sewer conversions, we have to address that there is a large population south of Lake Okeechobee and the human impacts on this whole thing," said State Representative, Holly Raschein.
The director of the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, said red-tide outbreaks have been recorded long before Florida's current population.
Steps to control the amounts of nutrients released inshore will reduce the spread of future outbreaks.
"The red tide organism is very adept at using whatever sources are available, including the very fish it kills. So, control of those excess nutrients into the inshore waters will help with the impacts of red tide once it gets there. But it will not rid us of red tide," said Gil McRae, Director of Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.
The source of the red tide outbreak is the suspected bloom cycle of a single-celled organism called Karenia Brevis algae that produces toxins that kill fish, birds, sea turtles, manatees and dolphins and can cause neuro-toxic shellfish poisoning in humans.
