County stormwater ponds are only preventing around half the red tide-fueling pollution they are designed to filter. The Healthy Pond Collaborative released a pond maintenance guide to help.
Redfish are big, brawny fighters and key contributors to Florida’s $13.8 billion recreational fishing industry. But redfish have a weak spot: They faithfully return to the same waters each year to spawn. This past fall, Hurricane Ian and red tide hit West Central Florida at a critical spawning time, delivering a one-two punch to a fish that is back in the conservation spotlight.
In the next few months, scientists will be monitoring the current, temperature and tropical storm activity, as these factors can shift red tide blooms.