Floridaâs environmental leaders pick their battles when it comes to the micro-organisms that threaten the stateâs water bodies. Ann Shortelle, executive director of the St. Johns River Water Management District, says sheâs justifiably happy with an experimental project that targets an aggressive, toxic form of freshwater algae that is, once again, showing up in Florida rivers and lakes.
Things are going so well, Shortelle says, that the treatment will be made available to managers of afflicted water bodies across the state. And thatâs good news. Florida needs effective weapons against biological threats to its water bodies â especially ones such as blue-green algae which can cause nausea, vomiting, flu-like symptoms, skin problems and even neurological problems in humans and can be fatal to pets.