FWC, DEP sets up an office in St. Petersburg to monitor the red tide

Agencies are setting up stores in St. Pete to monitor the red tide

Kimberly Kuizon reports

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida. – The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Department of Environmental Protection are working to provide real-time updates on the status of the red tide around Tampa Bay’s waterways.

“We have people in the air right now, we have people on boats collecting samples,” said Eric Sutton.

They provide predictions of where the red tide might appear and help local residents and business owners prepare for the impact.

“This week we’re seeing some signs of it dissolving in the bay. We’re not out of the woods yet. I want to be clear about that, but we’re seeing flowers offshore,” said Eric Sutton, executive director of FWC.

CONNECTED: Hillsborough County publishes guidelines to help residents clean up the red tide

Tampa Bay seaweed suffers from red tide

As the race for hundreds of tons of dead fish from Tampa Bay continues, concerns about the health of seaweed grow as the red tide ravages the waterway.

Sutton and DEP Interim Secretary Shawn Hamilton have set up an office in St. Petersburg until the bloom is over.

“It’s important for people to understand that from the point of view of the state and from the direction of the governor, it is to make sure that every agency is on board and coordinating to make sure we are delivering the most effective response we can Said Hamilton.

They have been on the water, in laboratories, and spent Tuesday meeting with St. Petersburg city guides. They are investigating the impact of the red tide on the area and what is being done.

MORE: Disturbance leads raw sewage into St. Pete Bay

Fishermen reveal the effects of the red tide on business

While fishing offshore is still an option for many fishermen, anglers closer to shore see the devastation of the red tide in their wallets.

Sutton and Hamilton said whatever help is needed, they will provide it.

“We will do everything we can to help. We can do only limited things, but we want to provide service to our citizens, particularly through providing information,” said Sutton.

Looking ahead, Sutton said adherence to the Tampa Bay Estuary program is critical. Founded in 1991, it has been dedicated to cleaning up and restoring Tampa Bay for decades.

“The bay is resilient because of the efforts of so many partners, institutions and scientists, Tampa Bay is a very resilient system. While it may look bleak in the near future, I think it is very important for all of us to have hope and we all.” have a model of collaboration that worked before, “Sutton said.

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