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Florida is creating a public-private partnership to research how to control and alleviate red tide blooms.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Thursday that establishes a partnership between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Mote Marine Laboratory to research the blooms that have killed wildlife, caused respiratory problems and hurt tourism.

The new law provides $18 million over the next six years to research ways to detect red tide blooms early and how to prevent them from spreading.

Florida recently experienced one of its largest red tide blooms in recorded history. The 15-month bloom began in the Gulf of Mexico and spread to the waters off the Atlantic coast.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.