Tampa Bay's Red Tide Fish Kill Problem On State's Radar

TAMPA BAY — After putting up with the stench from tons of dead marine life and the economic impact that red tide is having on Tampa Bay businesses, the Florida Department of Environmental Protections is providing some relief.

During a roundtable Wednesday at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Research Institute, DEP Interim Secretary Shawn Hamilton announced that funding is on its way in the form of grants to Pinellas and Hillsborough counties to help with the red tide cleanup and economic impacts.

“Having spent much of my life in Southwest Florida, I know that red tide blooms can cause significant impacts to our local communities,” FWC Executive Director Eric Sutton said. “Today, DEP Interim Secretary Shawn Hamilton and I were able to view firsthand the impacts of the current bloom in the Tampa Bay area. We also spent time with stakeholders and local leadership to ensure we are providing information, scientific data and the latest efforts regarding red tide research and management."

Sutton said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is on board with providing help to the two counties.

"Since his first day in office, Gov. Ron DeSantis has been a staunch advocate of improving our state’s water quality, dedicating significantly more funding and resources for red tide research and management," he said. "This support is critical as we join together for a long-term approach to complicated ecological issues.”

“Algal blooms have the ability to impact environmental health as well as the economic health of our communities,” said Hamilton. “Today, we were able to hear directly from stakeholders about their needs and ways we can enhance our collaborative efforts to combat red tide. Effectively addressing these impacts requires an all-hands-on-deck approach at both the local and state levels. Thanks to the leadership of Gov. DeSantis, DEP is able to provide funding assistance to our local partners for monitoring and mitigation solutions.”

“While red tide has existed for centuries, we know that excess nutrients in our coastal water bodies exacerbate and encourage the presence of harmful algal blooms, including red tide,” said Florida Chief Science Officer Dr. Mark Rains. “The Blue-Green Algae Task Force is committed to working with the Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force to identify gaps in our understanding and develop strategies based on sound science and thorough research to mitigate both the short- and long-term effects of harmful algal blooms.”

Shortly after taking office, DeSantis issued an executive order titled "Achieving More Now for Florida’s Environment" that includes the reactivation of the long-dormant Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force. Under the governor’s direction, the task force adopted a short-term, top-priority focus on key issues associated with red tide and continues to meet at least quarterly.

Since 2019, the state has dedicated more than $14.5 million to the Center for Red Tide Research at the FWC, which was created at DeSantis’ request.

Additionally, in his first legislative session, DeSantis signed into law Senate Bill 1552, which established the Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative, a partnership between FWC and Mote Marine Laboratory to develop technologies and approaches to control and mitigate red tide and its impacts. Senate Bill 1552 provided a $3 million annual appropriation to the initiative for six years, totaling $18 million.

Florida Rep. Ben Diamond, D-St. Petersburg, further emphasized the need for state support in addressing the red tide problem in a letter to Hamilton Wednesday.

“This bloom poses a massive threat to the bay, its wildlife, and the very livelihoods of so many of our residents whose jobs and businesses rely upon on these precious resources," Diamond.

“I have spoken with multiple representatives from the city of St. Petersburg. They have all echoed that the city’s resources are being stretched thin trying to remove the massive volume of fish that are flooding our waterways," he said.

"We do not know when this crisis will end, and it is simply not possible for our cities and county to keep up without additional support," Diamond said. "Our local crews are working tirelessly to address this problem, but they need your help now. Unless they receive this support, our neighbors, our local fisherman and our small business owners will continue to suffer.”

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