On July 14 in Washington, D.C., House Representatives from Florida Patrick Murphy (18th District) and Curt Clawson (19th District) hosted a Lagoon-Gulf Action Day to bring attention to the immediate and continuing threats from harmful algal blooms (HABs) on the west coast of the state. Of the 40 participants, many had traveled from Florida, including county commissioners, environmental groups and government agencies.Representatives from Martin and Lee Counties expressed concern over the current massive bloom stagnating and causing pungent anoxic conditions, and not for the first time.
This was an opportunity for federal agency representatives from USGS, EPA, NASA, and NOAA to discuss detectionof HAB species and toxins, monitoring of nutrient inputs that feed these blooms, NOAA’s HAB forecasting, and the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act (HABHRCA), which authorizes NOAAto help communities counter this increasing threat through research in its labs and centers and to augment our expertise by funding research by our extramural partners.
For more information contact Richard.Stumpf@noaa.gov