Harbor Branch's James Sullivan: Galvano's Appointment to the Red Tide Mitigation Panel

Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton announced Monday the appointment of James M. Sullivan, Ph.D. to the Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative Advisory Council.

“Our economy, health and quality of life are tied to the well-being of our environment. ..." Galvano said in a written statement distributed by his office. “Dr. Sullivan is a nationally-recognized leader in researching harmful algal blooms and also in the development of techniques and instruments used to study the growth and spread of algae. He will be a key asset for the Initiative Advisory Council as they work to develop a science-based plan to mitigate the harmful impacts of red tide.”

Sullivan is the executive director of Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. He previously held senior positions in academia and industry, both as research faculty at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography, and as a senior oceanographer for the company Sea-Bird Scientific, which manufactures instruments for measuring and monitoring ocean activity. Sullivan earned his masters and doctoral degrees in biological oceanography with specializations in phytoplankton physiology and ecology, as well as bio-optics and biophysics, from the University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography.

Senate Bill 1552, Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative, by Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota establishes the Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative as a partnership between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and Mote Marine Laboratory.

The purpose of the Initiative is to develop technologies and approaches needed to address the control and mitigation of red tide and its impacts. The bill requires the Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative to submit an annual report, beginning Jan. 15, 2021, containing an overview of the Initiative’s accomplishments and priorities to the governor, the president of the Senate, the speaker of the House of Representatives, the secretary of Environmental Protection, and the executive director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Galvano's office advises, for more information, click here.