FORT MYERS, Fla. — On Friday, a ribbon reducing welcomed Florida Gulf Coast University’s (FGCU) newly constructed Water School constructing, which was packed with scientists working to remedy real-time issues for Southwest Florida.
“This is actually a culture of the red tide organism,” Doctor Emily Brown, a scientist on the Water School walked me by way of new items of expertise, designed to detect red tide.
“ This is going to help us take water samples where we maybe suspect red tide or where it looks like the red tide may be traveling,” mentioned Dr. Brown.
Dr. Brown works with Doctor Mike Parsons, a Professor of Marine Science at FGCU’s Water School.
“It allows us to interface Fish and Wildlife Commission with other agencies that really need this information and we are here often at ground zero so we can really supply that information,” said Parsons.
Ground zero for red tide, where on Friday, the toxic blooms were impacting waterways across Southwest Florida.
It’s a task Parsons encourages the public to help with.
“Just reporting in the event that they see one thing unusual in the event that they see fish kills or not it’s actually useful after which there’s additionally the general public help with our elected officers,” mentioned Parsons.
We requested Parsons if elected officers must be doing extra with red tide
“ You need to have that communication going back and forth, so they are familiar with you and they trust you and they respect what you have to say as well as me becoming familiar with them,” mentioned Parsons.
That familiarity between school, scientists, and college students, for the better good.
“You’re going to get actually nice school members simply because we’re in a position to bounce concepts off one another and that at all times drives scientists to need to come close by…whenever you get nice individuals, we like to be a part of collectively,” mentioned Dr. Brown.