Dr. Lapointe Speaks to the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources

On January 25, 2017, Dr. Lapointe spoke to the Florida Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources regarding Everglades restoration and effects on downstream estuaries. Citing peer-reviewed scientific literature and case studies from throughout Florida, Lapointe discussed how seed algae from Lake Okeechobee combined with excess nutrients from septic systems and other basin sources fueled algal blooms in the St. Lucie Estuary in the summer of 2016. He also noted the misinformation regarding a connection between the Lake Okeechobee discharges and the brown tide algal bloom in the northern Indian River Lagoon, which was actually related to lagoon-wide effects of nutrient enrichment from wastewater and other basin sources. Finally, Dr. Lapointe cautioned against sending more water south to Florida Bay without ensuring the water would be clean. Major discharge events of “clean water” resulted in low salinities in the 1990s and exacerbated eutrophic conditions already occurring in Florida Bay and the Florida Keys. The ecological impacts included expansion of regional-scale algal blooms (including toxic red tides), low dissolved oxygen, wildlife mortalities, and increased seagrass and coral reef die-off, demonstrating that high salinities were not the cause of these problems. The presentation concluded with a call for sound science to address Florida's water quality issues. Please click the buttons below for more details.

The Florida Senate COMMITTEE MEETING EXPANDED AGENDA

Senate hearings on lake storage continue