SLEW Project Enters Testing of Integrative Decision Support Tool

The multi-institutional SLEW Project has entered its third and final year. During this phase, Lisa Krimsky (Regional Specialized Agent, Florida Sea Grant and Water Institute Faculty Fellow) and Darlene Velez (UF Water Institute Research Coordinator) will work with the project team and end-users to implement and test a co-developed integrative decision support tool. This tool will allow managers to better predict and manage harmful algae blooms in the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary System, the St. Lucie Estuary and Watershed, and Lake Okeechobee. The tool will also integrate previous modeling work done on Lake Okeechobee.

To develop the tool, the SLEW project, led by the University of South Florida, brought together an interdisciplinary team of experts and end-users. Experts in water quality, harmful algal bloom, modeling, and facilitation from the University of South Florida and the University of Florida collaborated with end-users from regulatory and water management agencies through four workshops. The testing of the tool, created through these workshops, will ensure the tool is both useful and user-friendly. The project concludes with a final training session to guide end-users in applying the tool effectively.

Learn more about the project and access project-related products here.

February 26, 2025