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Millions of genetically engineered mosquitoes will be released in the Florida Keys

Heading south for some sun and sand? You may encounter something you weren’t expecting on your trip: genetically modified mosquitos. A plan to release over 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes into the Florida Keys in 2021 and 2022 has been approved by federal and local authorities. The pilot project is a test to see if the genetically modified mosquitos can replace insecticides to control the Ades aegypti, a species of mosquito that carries deadly diseases like Zika and dengue. 

The decision has been met with skepticism from some health and safety experts. “With all the urgent crises facing our nation and the State of Florida… the administration used tax dollars and government resources for a Jurassic Park experiment,” Jaydee Hanson, policy director for the International Center for Technology Assessment and Center