A roundup of news items related to climate change and other environmental issues in Florida:
DeSantis signs bill to protect barrier island in Brevard County | News Service of Florida, WFTV
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill intended to keep an environmentally fragile portion of a barrier island in Brevard County from development.
One of nine measures signed Tuesday, the HB 1489 bill, designates the Brevard Barrier Island Area as an Area of Critical State Concern, which borders the Indian River Lagoon.
The area’s Atlantic side is considered a critical nesting ground for threatened and endangered sea turtles.
NOAA: $2.6 billion will help communities prepare for weather disasters and climate change | USA Today
Coastal communities, Tribal nations and weather forecast accuracy are among the planned beneficiaries of $2.6 billion the Department of Commerce plans to use to help communities be more resilient to climate change, weather hazards and sea level rise.
It includes $575 million for regional challenge grants launched by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this week.
More frequent and costly climate and extreme weather events have profound economic and social impacts on communities, NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said earlier this month.
City of Cape Coral to discuss more ways to protect water from algae blooms | WBBH-TV
The city of Cape Coral plans to protect Southwest Florida waters from blue-green algae blooms after reports show large numbers in Lake Okeechobee.
Crews have started working on keeping the algae out by using bubble curtains. Bubble curtains pump a constant stream of air to keep the algae out of the waters. The city says it wants to stay proactive.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is hosting a meeting of the Blue-Green Algae Task Force where you are invited to participate in-person or online Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Florida Gulf Coast University.
If you have any news items of note that you think we should include in our next roundup, please email The Invading Sea Editor Nathan Crabbe at ncrabbe@fau.edu. Sign up for The Invading Sea newsletter by visiting here.
