Signs give station frequencies and ask motorists to tune in.
The first two stations, which operate 24 hours daily at 1300 AM and 1610 AM, urge tourists to stop at Florida Welcome Centers to get more information about checking their boats, trailers and other aquatic equipment for zebra mussels that may be hitching a ride into the state. Jackson said the main target audience is the recreational boater who may unknowingly transport the pest into the state. More than 400,000 tourists bring boats into Florida every year. If zebra mussels become established in the state, the public will see an immediate increase in the cost of products and services that depend on surface water, Jackson said. In a state that already has more than its share of exotic pests, zebra mussels pose an alarming threat because they are such prolific reproducers, said Marion Clarke, assistant dean for Sea Grant.