If this summer brings toxic algae blooms to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries, are state agencies ready, willing and able to find the toxins and quickly warn the public?
The need for early detection of and warnings for toxic blue-green algae blooms is crucial to the health and welfare of Floridians and our millions of visitors. But during previous algae crises officials warnings were hard to come by. The good news is that federal and state agencies are poised to collaborate more effectively next time in sampling, testing and warning the public about blooms.
But as the annual blue-green algae bloom on Lake Okeechobee worsens, and the threat of toxic discharges persists, there's still lots of room for improvement.
