There are two basic approaches to improving the quality of our coastal waters. One is to focus on reducing the flow of excess nutrients into our waterways. This includes the move to close the polluting Piney Point storage facility, upgrading aging wastewater infrastructure like the Bee Ridge plant in Sarasota and START’s Healthy Pond Collaborative [...]
The Sarasota Tiger Bay Club, an organization of local citizens, policy makers and business leaders, meets monthly for luncheons at Michael’s On East Restaurant to hear a panel of experts address important topics of concern. The topics range from updates about pending legislation in Tallahassee, to local issues like the direction of the School Board [...]
The Florida manatee, designated the state marine mammal in 1975, is among the state’s most popular native animal. Manatees are often called gentle giants. They’re slow-moving, peaceful creatures that tend to flock toward human activity in search of warmth. However, they are not having a good year. More than 1,000 of the sea mammals have [...]
EVENT TITLE: Sarasota County Seagrass Survey and Nature Festival DATE: Saturday, April 27, 2019 TIME: Seagrass Survey: 8am – 1pm (registered volunteers can sign-in/pick up their packets & equipment from 7:30 – 8 am) Nature Festival: 11 am – 2 pm LOCATION: Sarasota Sailing Squadron, 1717 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota FL 34236 DESCRIPTION: Hosted by [...]
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill had a negative effect on the coastal habitats of the Gulf of Mexico. Beaches, marshes, oyster reefs, and other habitats were exposed to oil, affecting the plants and wildlife living in those areas. NOAA announced in December of 2016, the availability of up to $7 million for grant funding provided [...]
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, [...]
“Blue carbon” or coastal habitats may sequester significantly more carbon dioxide than forests. Coastal wetlands have long been recognized for their wildlife values, their vital role in water quality, and their significance in protecting our built environmental during storm events. Scientists, however, have recently begun to document another critically important value: their ability to absorb [...]
