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Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls, a Palm Harbor Republican, toured Tampa Bay Tuesday with scientists from Clearwater Marine Aquarium to learn more about manatee death mitigation efforts and red tide.
More than 880 manatees have died off the shore of Florida in 2021, breaking the previous statewide high of 830 in 2013. Sprowls led the Legislature to appropriate $8 million for manatee habitat restoration amid the deaths this past year.
“The number of manatee deaths this year and the impacts of red tide on residents, tourism and the environment are devastating,” Sprowls said. “It’s critical we learn more about the issues.”
– Kelly Hayes, Florida Politics