Sarasota Bay Watch thanks our Manatee-Sarasota community for a tremendous outpouring of support and participation this year. 2017 was very busy and productive, with a broad range of activities to help restore and protect our precious waterways. Our team of volunteer board members and advisor worked tirelessly and passionately to host events, activities, community outreach, education and youth leadership development.
We are looking forward to a fabulous 2018. Here are some of the things we checked off our To-Do list in 2017:
Species Restoration
1. Bay Scallop Restoration – over 100,000,000 scallop larvae released to date
2. Southern Hard Shell Clam Restoration
60,000 juveniles released in Sarasota Bay
250,000 clams being grown to top neck size by clam farmer partner for release summer of 2018
3. Began dialog with City of Venice and VABI about adding mangrove restoration to the planning and design of an urban forest
4. Supported Gulf Shellfish Institute’s sea grass enhancement project using Southern Hard Shell Clams at Port Manatee
5. SBW volunteers helped the Bay Estuary Program bag oyster shells to create new habitat, and to install it in the bay.
SBW also performed a number of important habitat restoration and creation projects like the restoration of Skiers Island and some significant community outreach projects like our Annual Sarasota Bay Great Scallop Search and the Earth Day Exhibit at Oscar Scherer State Park.
