President Trump is focusing on coastal fisheries as part of his environmental agenda going into campaign season, an approach particularly geared to the key battleground state of Florida, where he is aiming to eradicate the “red tide” of toxic algae.
Trump laid out his coastal priorities on July 8 in a major White House speech on the environment, targeting recent outbreaks of red tide — so named for its dark toxic algae blooms that make swimming and fishing hazardous.
Trump touted the $100 million he authorized to address the red tide, which he called “a big problem” causing “tremendous havoc” and economic damage in coastal areas. Last year, red tides were a problem for Palm Beach, where Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort is located.
Trump’s property values could be one reason for his interest in the toxic algae problem. But it is also a problem that worries voters, including thousands of commercial fishermen that rely on the coastal waters for their livelihood.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said last month that red tide had killed 174 dolphins off of Florida’s coast in the last year. It can also destroy fish habitats and make shellfish poisonous and unfit for human consumption.
Higher surface water temperatures and climate change are among the reasons for the increased frequency of red tide in recent years. Trump did not mention climate change in his speech.
Michael Crosby, President and CEO of the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in Florida, says that problems facing the nation’s fisheries could provide an advantage to the administration if it addresses them well.
Crosby, in an interview with the Washington Examiner last month, said he had been at the White House to discuss efforts to save the coral reef along the Florida coast.
Mote has developed the technology to save corals that are dying off due to higher water temperature and ocean acidification caused by climate change. Crosby said he just needs the federal government’s involvement to scale up and implement a robust response program.
Crosby, a former chief scientist with NOAA, met with the agency’s Deputy Administrator Tim Gallaudet early in June to discuss putting together a federal response.
That response would likely come in the form of funding from the agency to save the coral reef. Crosby is convinced Gallaudet is supportive of funding an effort involving Mote.
“I have high confidence that NOAA is going to take a significant level of ownership in not just studying but helping to get the funds out the door to launch whole new initiatives that focus on coral disease and response restoration initiatives,” he said. Gallaudet did not respond to a request for comment before deadline.
Crosby also had meetings at the White House ahead of Trump’s speech to discuss the administration’s support for a renewed coral reef restoration effort.
Why would Trump be interested in coral reefs? A report issued by the U.S. Geological Survey in April may have the answer.
The report showed that the total economic value of coral reefs equals $3.4 billion annually in support of commercial fisheries, tourism, keeping beachfront property intact, and protecting people from natural disasters, it claimed.
Reefs help to protect against flooding and coastline erosion, absorbing 97% of the wave energy that hits the surf, making them integral to protecting coastal communities from storm surge. They also eliminate the need to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on coastal infrastructure for flood prevention.
The U.S. is one of the top 10 countries that benefit from the existence of coral reefs for coastal economies, according to the report.
