Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Red Tide Research Bill
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/AP) — Tackling Florida's disastrous red tide is something Governor Ron DeSantis takes seriously and Thursday he signed a bill which creates a private partnership to research how to control and alleviate red tide blooms.
The new law establishes a partnership between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Mote Marine Laboratory to research the blooms that have killed wildlife, caused respiratory problems and hurt tourism.
It provides $3 million a year in state money for the next six years to research ways to detect red tide blooms early and how to prevent them from spreading.
Red tide research was a priority for lawmakers following the substantial and economically disastrous bloom that hit both coasts last year, which was one of the state's largest red tide blooms in recorded history.
The 15-month bloom began in the Gulf of Mexico and spread to the waters off the Atlantic coast.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
