Restoration
After 23 years of grassroots efforts and environmental restoration, the final phase of restoration at the 100-acre FISH Preserve has been completed. The Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH) championed and fundraised for the protection of the land in 2000. The preserve neighbors the historically significant Cortez Fishing Village and has a prominent link to…
Continue ReadingJoin us as we celebrate National Estuaries Week 2023! Throughout September, we will be offering various events and opportunities to #WadeIn to your local bays and waterways! National Estuaries Week is celebrated every year around the U.S. to showcase the value our bays and estuaries provide to our local communities. An estuary is an area…
Continue ReadingJoin us as we celebrate National Estuaries Week 2022! Throughout September, we will be offering various events and opportunities to #WadeIn to your local bays and waterways! National Estuaries Week is celebrated every year around the U.S. to showcase the value our bays and estuaries provide to our local communities. An estuary is an area…
Continue ReadingChristine Quigley – Public Outreach Assistant Deep Cover Underwater SBEP, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Reef Innovations, and Aptim Environmental & Infrastructure recently concluded a study of several artificial reefs in Sarasota Bay. The study mapped the extent of three artificial reefs and monitored how different fish species and marine organisms used different…
Continue ReadingIn November of 2020, a coalition called Sarasota Urban ReForesters (SURF) installed a 0.3 acre “microforest” at the Celery Fields. The Coalition consisted of Florida Veterans for Common Sense Fund, Inc, the Sarasota Bay Chapter of Rotary International, Solutions to Avoid Red Tide, and the Sarasota Manatee Chapter of the Florida Native Plant society. The…
Continue ReadingHabitat restoration project managers juggle many priorities. One of those priorities is ensuring that the created habitat is useful for local wildlife. But which species? Threatened and endangered or economically important species often top the list. The restoration plan will change with the priority species. Gopher tortoises need different things than tarpon, for example. Then…
Continue ReadingWe asked our partners in the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department to tell us how their staff adapted to physical distancing during the COVID-19 epidemic while maintaining and enhancing Manatee County’s beautiful parks and preserves. Our hats are off to these staff for their impressive work. Thanks to Damon Moore, Division Manager of…
Continue ReadingIn January 2020, Sarasota County, with partners SBEP, City of Sarasota, and the Sarasota County School Board, and funding partner Southwest Florida Water Management District completed the Hudson Bayou In-Stream Restoration and Water Quality Improvements project. This initiative integrated multiple habitat and water quality improvement features into two main canals of Hudson Bayou located at…
Continue ReadingInvasive exotic species are a common problem in our natural areas, local parks, and even our own backyards. They are officially defined as “…alien (non-native) species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health” (National Invasive Species Council). Because they tend to grow quickly and out-compete…
Continue ReadingSeptember 14th – 21st marks the 31st National Estuaries Week highlighting the importance of estuaries and bays around the country. Estuaries are vibrant nurseries that provide food and shelter for small fish and other marine creatures. These unique ecosystems clean our air and water, protect us from storms, support our favorite recreational pastimes, and drive…
Continue ReadingSarasota and Manatee Counties have excellent artificial reef programs that offer boaters, anglers and divers a bounty of recreational opportunities. And while many sportsmen take to the numerous offshore reefs to pursue these activities, a lesser known array of artificial reefs inside Sarasota Bay, in addition to providing these same opportunities, is quietly pursuing another, …
Continue ReadingWhat challenges does sea level rise pose for restoring and managing Sarasota Bay? SBEP staff and partners appear in a new video about sea level rise impacts on Sarasota Bay. The video is intended for general audiences.
Continue ReadingSarasota Bay Estuary Program’s volunteer group, the Bay Guardians, put in a tremendous effort to remove trash and invasive plants from Quick Point Nature Preserve and the surrounding bay on Saturday, November 18, 2017. Forty volunteers from the community, including a youth group from Temple Emanu-El and three local SCUBA divers, donned work gloves or…
Continue ReadingGet ready to kick off a new season of Bay restoration! This year, we will be hosting family-friendly cleanups and restoration opportunities on and off the water. New dates will be added as we identify restoration and cleanup needs. Registration links will be added about one month before each workday. If you would like to be notified via…
Continue ReadingSBEP funds environmental education and habitat restoration projects to improve the quality of Sarasota Bay. Application materials for this year’s Bay Partners Grants are now available on our website. Businesses, non-profit organizations, schools, academic institutions, government agencies, civic associations, religious organizations, and neighborhood/homeowners’ associations located in Sarasota and Manatee counties with projects that will benefit…
Continue ReadingThe SBEP is soliciting proposals for restoration projects in the Sarasota Bay watershed to update the Southwest Florida Regional Ecosystem Restoration Plan. Eligible projects include those proposed by local and state governments, NGOs, and academic institutions within the geographic areas of Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Please forward this announcement and documents linked below to any eligible…
Continue ReadingThe Sarasota Bay Estuary Program was recently awarded a second Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 Wetland Program Development Grant to continue their work on southwest Florida tidal creeks. Dr. Jay Leverone, SBEP staff scientist, will be leading this collaborative effort, which includes both Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor Estuary Programs as well as staff…
Continue ReadingThe Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP) will deploy new reef modules on three existing artificial reefs in Sarasota Bay during the week of September 12, 2016. The three reefs, Bayshore North, Bayshore South and White Key, are managed by Manatee County Natural Resources. Reef Innovations of Sarasota constructed the reef modules and will oversee their…
Continue ReadingThe Sarasota Bay Estuary Program recently completed the restoration of nearly half of the Preserve through a cooperative funding agreement with SWFWMD and the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage, F.I.S.H. Restoration implemented by contracting firm Earthbalance resulted in more wetland acreage, improved tidal circulation, and the reestablishment of natural hydro-periods. The restoration also achieved the…
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