START program works to address red tide

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, in partnership with Solutions to Avoid Red Tide, has created a special grants program to support projects that will study ways to control and potentially lessen the effects of Florida's red tide on coastal communities.

Called the "Red Tide Control and Mitigation Program," the competitive grants program has funded 12 research studies and disbursed more than $1.5 million between 2007 and 2009 to explore environmentally acceptable techniques or technologies for potential control of red tide blooms and their effects on Florida.

Those with questions about the program can contact Dr. Jill Copeland at 953-4545 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].