STATE OF THE GULF CONFERENCE
Based on the community’s recommendations and participation in past community workshops, a local action plan has been developed and many important coastal issues are being addressed locally and state-wide. Those issues that rose to the top of the list include: Environmental Education, Red Tide, and Climate Change.
LOCAL EFFORTS IN COLLIER COUNTY
Accordingly, an informal education group has been formed, providing greater collaboration opportunities for educators; a climate change task force has begun to meet, discussing the issue and the necessity to take local action; and a new red tide beach reporting system has been put into place in Collier County. These examples are direct recommendations of workshop participants.
CONFERENCE AUDIENCE
The conference is intended to inform elected officials, professionals, and community members on the local action plan developed by the Gulf of Mexico Alliance. Conference speakers will provide a state-wide and local response to the following issues:
- The latest updates on Red Tide, plus a new reporting system
- Local and statewide Climate Change perspectives
- Environmental Education challenges:
A priority for the future
The new red tide beach reporting system, created in response to requests for current and up-to-date information about beach conditions from area residents, businesses and beachgoers, is designed to provide regular twice-daily updates about conditions at beaches, including the presence of red tide and whether it is affecting beachgoers. The reports are collected by lifeguards, parks personnel and other beach monitors, input on wireless handheld computers and automatically updated on the Web. A telephone update is also available for some beaches for members of the public or visitors without Internet access. This system extends from Sarasota County to Collier County 
