UF survey to shed light on economic impact of red tide; give your input

A new survey hopes to help us further understand the impact of red tide on the economy in your community.

We all remember the unbearable mess from two years ago, with dead fish lining the beaches.

The University of Florida wants to know if your business took a hit because of it.

The school is taking a closer look at the financial impact for charter fishermen, bait and tackle shops, and anybody else in the marine industry.

You have until Sept. 25 to fill out the survey to explain how red tide affected your bottom line.

“Another thing to look for – is kind of – is there a hangover effect? You know, we did some pre-survey interviews with businesses and they indicated to us that even when red tide was gone, their businesses were still impacted. Tourists were not coming,” said Dr. Andrew Ropicki, an assistant professor specializing in marine resource economics at UF.