It’s been a tough hurricane season for Tampa Bay and our hearts are with all those who were affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Our community has a long road to recovery, but so many of you have already risen to the occasion to support your neighbors in this effort. TBEP will continue to aid the community through cleanups at Give-A-Day for the Bay events. We’ll also continue monitoring to determine how the storms have affected the bay and direct restoration efforts as needed. Keep reading for more information on monitoring efforts and a list of cleanups to take part in! | |
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Tampa Bay Debris Derby
We were excited to celebrate the Tampa Bay Debris Derby with you in early October, but because of the hurricanes, we had to change our plans. Instead, we turned the Debris Derby into a hurricane debris cleanup, asking people to help clean up areas affected by the storm and share their work on social media.
You can help us celebrate the volunteers who took part in this year’s Debris Derby at our awards and raffle event! If you registered for the Debris Derby, this event is where you can pick up your shirt and raffle tickets. At the end of the night, we’ll raffle off the awesome prizes donated by BOTE, Costa del Mar and other industry leaders. We'll also have a casting contest and a celebration for those who couldn’t join the cleanup. Keep up the good work cleaning up your communities and we’ll see you at Green Bench Brewing!
Want to keep helping with recovery efforts? Check our events section to see a list of hurricane cleanups you can join!
Register now
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Post Hurricane Monitoring
We've had lots of questions about how Hurricanes Helene and Milton may have influenced water quality. We don’t have all the answers yet, but we're working on it. Scientists are collecting water samples to check for harmful substances in the water. These include microplastics, chemicals called PFAS, harmful bacteria such as Vibrio and enterococcus, and red tide. They are also testing dissolved oxygen and salinity, which can be tied to fish kills.
This monitoring will help us find out where and why these water hazards appear after hurricanes and how long they might last. Sampling began in mid-October, and will continue over the next few weeks. Stay tuned for further updates on the results of this study!
This is a collaborative effort between the University of Florida Center for Coastal Solutions, the Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership, the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Charlotte County, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, Tampa Bay & Suncoast Waterkeepers, and the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
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Exciting News from the Gulf Ecosystem Initiative!
The Gulf Ecosystem Initiative is funding a new team, led by our very own Kerry Flaherty-Walia and Dr. Blake Simmons, along with Dr. Angela Collins from Florida Sea Grant. Their team will review existing research and data to see how restoration projects affect fish populations in Florida’s estuaries.
Florida's fishing industries are vital to the economy and are reliant on healthy fish populations. These fish depend on nursery habitats in estuaries like seagrasses, mangroves, and oyster beds. But they face challenges from climate change, coastal development, and pollution from various sources. All of these make it harder for both local and migratory fish to survive.
A lot of money and effort has gone into habitat restoration to repair damaged environments. Yet, there aren’t always sufficient data to track if these projects are working effectively. The ultimate goal of the project is to help identify the best habitat restoration methods that directly benefit fish populations. They will also recommend methods to better track the success of these projects. The team aims to support the restoration and monitoring of Florida’s estuaries to protect these important habitats for the future.
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Give-A-Day for the Bay 2024
We're very thankful for all our volunteers who spent their Saturdays helping the bay. Give-A-Day for the Bay is a volunteer program that lets people like you put in “sweat equity” to protect and restore the bay area. Whether it's pulling out invasive plants or building healthy shorelines, these events let volunteers get their hands dirty, give back, and have fun!
Interested in becoming a volunteer?
Join our volunteer email list
Visit our calendar to find out about upcoming events
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National Estuaries Week Thank You
Hurricane Helene may have put a damper on National Estuaries Week, but we still managed to host several of our events. We’re so grateful for those that came out to enjoy them with us and we hope you had a great time! We had a clean up in Pasco County, a Trek and Chat at Lettuce Lake Park, a Coffee and Climate Change presentation, and social science presentations from NEPs around the country. The week of celebration may be over, but it is important that we recognize the importance of our estuaries throughout the year. How can you be part of this effort? Join a Give-A-Day for the Bay event with us, plant a native garden, or share your love of estuaries on social media. As we approach election day, remember to research your local officials and causes and show your support with your vote!
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Remembering George Henderson
George Henderson, a longtime pillar of the environmental community in Tampa Bay, passed away peacefully in August. George worked for the State of Florida for 35 years with even a brief stint at the TBEP in 2009. He was well known by many in local and state natural resource management communities, and his sometimes gruff exterior concealed his truly innate kindness for all that knew him most.
George took part in our oral history interviews in 2015 and his legacy -- including his very candid take on how to protect Florida's natural splendor now and into the future -- can be remembered through his recorded interview.
A memorial service will be held at:
Saint Petersburg Friends Meeting (Quakers)
130 19th Ave Southeast, St. Petersburg, Florida
on November 2, 2024, at 2:00 pm.
Read the full obituary
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Manatees on the Move
November is manatee awareness month! As the weather cools, manatees travel to warm-water sites like springs and power plant discharges. These areas increase their contact with boaters and put them at risk for boat strikes.
Do your part and go slow, look out below! Manatees can be difficult to see in the water, so pay attention to all slow, no wake zones and wear polarized sunglasses, which can help in finding them underwater.
Physically handling a distressed or stranded manatee can cause more harm. Instead, report injured, distressed, sick or dead manatees to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or by dialing #FWC or *FWC on a cellphone so trained responders can assist.
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Request for Proposals
EXTENDED DEADLINE: November 15, 2024
The Tampa Bay Estuary Program is seeking a contractor to provide behavioral research and social marketing services required for designing, testing, and implementing environmental behavior change campaigns within the Tampa Bay watershed. The anticipated project duration is 3 years, with up to $150,000 available over the duration of the project.
Proposals must be submitted by November 15, 2024.
Learn more
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The Tampa Bay Estuary Program is seeking participants for our first ever hackathon! Organizations and individuals interested in applying their data science skills to solve environmental management challenges are encouraged to register.
Registration will open on November 4, 2024. Keep an eye out for an email early next week with details!
Learn more
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Fusion 49th District Cleanup | Nov 2
Join Fusion 49th District, City of Gulfport, City of St. Pete, and Keep Pinellas Beautiful for a community cleanup. Bring a reusable water bottle!
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Flooding Hazards Workshop | Nov 14
This is an awareness-level, eight-hour course that covers the causes of floods, best practices for preparation and mitigation, and more.
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Robinson Preserve Supermoon Paddle | Nov 15
Join Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, the Manatee County Natural Resources Department, and the Sarasota and Tampa Bay Estuary Programs for a special supermoon paddle at Robinson Preserve!
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A Splash of Color Screening | Nov 15
Join a discussion on the history of Black people in the outdoors in Pinellas County followed by a screening of the documentary A Splash of Color.
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Hack the Bay! | Jan 27
TBEP’s first ever hackathon! Apply your data science skills to solve environmental management challenges.
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Florida State Fish Art Contest | Feb 28
Students in kindergarten through 12th grade can compete in this free contest to win state and national prizes. The contest is open until February 28, 2025.
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The mission of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program is to build partnerships to restore and protect Tampa Bay through implementation of a scientifically sound, community-based management plan.
TBEP is a partnership of Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco and Pinellas counties; the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater; the Southwest Florida Water Management District; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
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