Understanding HABs and the Florida Department of Health Role: Notification, Response, Resources and Research in the State of Florida

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a regular occurrence in Florida, and with predictions indicating that their frequency and intensity may increase over time, understanding and communicating the risks of these events are important to the protection of public health. Florida boasts a year-round climate of warmth and sunshine, which – when combined with the state’s numerous marine and freshwater habitats and harmful algae species – can make for abundant and potentially toxic blooms. In 2016 and 2018, Florida experienced large-scale, concurrent episodes of cyanobacteria and Karenia brevis red tide. The environmental and economic consequences prompted the development of a state-wide, inter-agency collaborative network for routine waterbody surveillance, testing, and public notification of blooms. The Florida Department of Health has been tasked with disseminating the resulting information since 2019 in an effort to minimize human and animal exposures. This presentation will cover the Florida Department of Health’s ongoing progress in streamlining its public notification protocol, developing trainings and resource materials for general and targeted audiences such as healthcare practitioners, and contributing to the overall body of HAB research through state funding for the discovery of long-term implications on human health