SARASOTA, Fla.— Gov. Rick Scott's office has said the amount of money designated for red tide and blue-green algae relief is $13 million.
But, the widely-reported county-by-county breakdown doesn't add up to $13 million.
The short answer? The money has been set aside -- but is still being allocated.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is administering the $13 million via a grant funding program that directly awards counties suffering from the impacts of red tide and blue-green algae.
A DEP spokesperson said grant amendments and new grants are still being awarded. Less than $10 million of the $13 million has yet been awarded, as shown below.
Red tide grants
- Lee County: $3,000,000
- Manatee County: $750,000
- Sarasota County: $1,478,671.51
- Charlotte County: $333,705
- Collier County: $190,240
- Pinellas County: $3,300,000
That adds up to more than $9 million.
Blue-Green Algae grants
- Lee County: $2,010,000
- Martin County: $700,000
Those funds add up to $2,710,000
The total for the counties combined is more than $11.7 million.
It will take more time before all of the $13 million is assigned.
But wait, there's more
The $13 million isn't the only money Governor Scott has directed.
Mote Marine Laboratories announced it would receive $2.2 million. That is about three times the amount it usually gets from the state.
The $2.2 million going to Mote is a separate investment in red tide than the $13 million total funded by DEP.
Scientists said instead of using the money for research, they will be using it to conduct experiments aimed at killing red tide algae without harming other marine wildlife.
Some ideas include using a machine to remove toxins from the water and also spreading a specific type of clay that shows promise in controlling the bloom.
Mote Marine Laboratory CEO Michael Crosby said he was looking forward to getting a move on with the new methods.
“I'm very, very hopeful, and I fully expect that in no more than six months we will be testing many of these other methods and approaches that we are working on,” Crosby said.
Officials from Mote Marine Laboratories traveled to Washington D.C Thursday to request more money from the federal government, as well.
They said they would eventually like to establish an entirely new lab system, connecting scientists from around the world, concentrating specifically on controlling algae blooms.
In addition to the Mote money, Gov. Scott has also directed $500,000 to VISIT FLORIDA to help with local tourism and development boards. And, $1.2 million was directed to Stock Enhancement Research Facility to enhance research and production of redfish.
Total funds
When you add the $13 million to the additional funds allocated by Gov. Scott, the total will ultimately be closer to $16.9 million.
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