INDIAN ROCKS BEACH, Fla. — In Pinellas County, red tide is gone but it is not forgotten.
- Several hundred people attended summit at Sheraton Sand Key Resort
- Panelists addressed scientific, economic, health issues
- More Red Tide stories
The county and Indian Rocks Beach Mayor Cookie Kennedy hosted a Red Tide Summit at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort Thursday evening.
Kelli Hammer Levy, director of the Pinellas County Environmental Management Department, said they came up with the idea after last year's serious bloom.
"Just from a response perspective, we removed over 18 hundred tons of dead fish and marine debris from our water," she said.
Kennedy said she heard from many residents and business people in her city about the impact red tide had.
"We have people who have asthma, we have older people who the smell hurt, our businesses suffered because people didn't want to come to the beaches. It affects a lot of people," she said.
Panelists talked to a crowd of several hundred attendees about the scientific, economic and health issues red tide can cause.
"We have different strategies that we're working on to try to improve our resilience," said Dr. Kate Hubbard with FWC.
Experts said new satellite technology is being used to enhance monitoring. They're also pushing for more observation, better tracking models and additional government funding.
"Because if we don't understand it, we can't solve it," said Hammer Levy.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has promised to make red tide funding a priority during the 2019 legislative session.