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Tuesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Seaweed mass hits record-breaking size in Caribbean as it heads to Florida and Gulf
The massive 5,000-mile-long seaweed swath that has been creeping westward across the Atlantic just broke a record in the Caribbean. That does not bode well for Florida. The mass will continue to drift toward the Gulf Stream, which will continue to carry piles of the seaweed to Sunshine State beaches. Bands of the seaweed have been reaching South Florida already this season. March saw a surge swamping the Keys. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, WFTV, and the Hill.
Major architectural firm enters Florida by merging with Jacksonville company
One of the largest architectural firms in the country is expanding into Florida by merging with a First Coast firm whose roots date back more than three decades. Architecture, interiors and planning firm LS3P has merged with Jacksonville-based Ebert Norman Brady Architects of Jacksonville, with the deal effective April 1. With $97.5 million in revenue in 2021, LS3P is the 14th largest architectural firm in the country, according to Building Design+Construction's annual list. More from the Jacksonville Business Journal.
Tampa water startup Genesis Systems acquires first company
Tampa-based Genesis Systems acquired a startup that also specializes in converting clean water from the air, the company announced Monday. The purchase of California-based Molecule Inc. is Genesis Systems’ first acquisition. The details of the deal were not disclosed. Genesis Systems, the company behind the WaterCube, a device generating water from the atmosphere, said it plans to take over more companies to position itself as a global leader in renewable water and tackle water scarcity. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Proposed 100-dog kennel in east Orange has animal-welfare advocates howling
A dog-breeder specializing in miniature canines, specifically toy breeds, wants to open a commercial kennel in rural east Orange to house up to 100 animals, a plan that has neighbors and animal-welfare advocates growling. Some question whether raising and selling puppies from a commercial kennel would even be legal under the hotly debated county ordinance, adopted in 2021, which banned retail sale of a dog, cat or rabbit by a pet store. The measure put pet shops that relied on puppy sales out of business. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Could rocket fuel soon be produced in Polk County?
Rocket fuel, made in Polk County. That’s the plan for a hydrogen plant set to be built off Old Highway 37 in Mulberry. “It just shows more diversity in Polk County. It adds to our tax base, our employment base, attracting higher-tech jobs. All those things contribute to a better quality of life,” said county commissioner George Lindsey. More from WFLA.
Profile
This marine biologist is on a mission to save endangered rays
The first time Jessica Pate swam beside a manta ray off Florida’s southern coast, the 8-foot-wide fish flipped belly-up and slowed to watch her. “I was kind of obsessed after that,” Pate says. The marine biologist was so hooked that she founded the conservation nonprofit Florida Manta Project and has dedicated the last seven years to studying mantas and their kin. Her work is paying off.
» More from Science News.
Arts Business
The birth of Southwest Florida’s first professional ballet company
While arts and culture abound locally, Southwest Florida has been missing one essential institution: a professional ballet company. Now, that’s changing with the premier of Florida Gulfshore Ballet, from the talented folks behind Fort Myers’ Gulfshore Ballet academy.
» Read more from Gulfshore Life.
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