Sarasota Bay Estuary Program
The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program is a cooperative partnership among communities, researchers, and governments that strives to improve the health of Sarasota Bay and enhance the area's natural resources for public benefit.
Ecosystem Health Update
Every year, we publish an Ecosystem Health Report Card to track conditions in each of our five bay segments. View our most recent update, which showcases conditions for the 2025 calendar year.
Recent News & Notes
Sarasota, FL (April 8, 2026) – The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP) released its 2026 update to the annual Ecosystem Health Report Card, showcasing conditions for the 2025 calendar year. About the Report Card The Report Card uses four indicators of ecosystem health to assess conditions in the five bay segments within SBEP’s jurisdiction. The…
In 2020, The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program developed an Ecosystem Health Report Card as an early‑warning tool for the region’s five bay systems, tracking nitrogen, chlorophyll‑a, macroalgae, and seagrass to detect early signs of ecosystem stress. Baseline levels are intentionally set at approximately half of the pollution thresholds that would trigger regulatory action or impairments, allowing time to…
Matt Bossick holds up bait outside the shop Fish can tell you a lot about the health of an estuary, and so can the people who catch them. From snook and redfish to seagrass and water clarity, local fishermen from different generations share firsthand observations of Sarasota Bay through time. “Just about anything you’d catch…
No one wants wastewater in the bay. Local governments, residents, and environmental partners all share that concern. And while we’ve made enormous progress improving infrastructure throughout the watershed, the reality is that a system built over many decades can’t be modernized overnight. We believe it is important not to minimize these incidents, but to ensure the community has accurate information…
Cortez: Anchored in the Past, Devoted to the Future In the northeast corner of Sarasota Bay sits a time capsule-Cortez Village-a community quite literally anchored to the past. Cortez sits modestly as one of the last remaining fishing villages on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Landscape and policy shifts have continuously threatened its historic and economic health,…
As we prepare for another round of strong northwest winds from an approaching cold front, I thought it was a good time to talk about the cycle of sand on our beaches-where it goes, and why it matters. Winter is the eroding season for our beaches. Strong northwest winds scour the shoreline and move sand down the coast to the…
Our Programs
We work with our partners to improve the science of bay management, restore wildlife habitats, and increase community engagement in bay restoration efforts.
