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Gov. DeSantis announces creation of blue-green algae task force

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Posted at 11:08 AM, Apr 29, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-29 18:46:27-04

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Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Hobe Sound on Monday and announced the creation of a special task force to study the concerning issue of blue-green algae.

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The Governor spoke at Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, where he said five expert researchers will serve on the task force.

Among those scientists is Dr. Tom Frazer, Florida's new Chief Science Officer.

"It's one thing to go and get the resources, but I want to make sure when we're applying those, we're applying those in the best possible way, and we're doing what we can to effectively deal with the nutrients, the algae, the red tide," said Gov. DeSantis.

The task force will prioritize projects to reduce nutrients in our waterways. Those nutrients can contribute to harmful algae blooms and toxic red tide.

Back in January, the Governor laid out his $625 million environmental budget, which includes millions to study the effects of blue-green algae and red tide.