While in Miami Dade County today, Governor Ron DeSantis named the state's new Chief Science officer, Dr. Mark Rains.
"He comes to us with over 30 years of experience in environmental science and hydrology and he’s going to do a great job for the state of Florida," DeSantis said.
Rains is the director of geosciences at the University of South Florida.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection secretary Noah Valenstein says Rains’ specialization in hydrology and eco-hydrogeology is a valuable asset.
"His expertise in managing water in the state of Florida is going to be key for us in dealing with blue-green algae blooms but also the impact of water flowing across landscapes like we see here in the Everglades. The Everglades is not the only area of Florida that we’re working on restoration and making sure that we are getting the water right," Valenstein said.
Rains is the state’s second ever chief science officer. He is replacing Tom Frazer.
