Celebrate National Estuaries Week with us from September 21 to 28! It’s the perfect time to show some love for our estuaries and let your elected officials know just how vital they are. Join the celebration online by sharing and engaging with our posts using #WadeIn and #EstuariesWeek.

But why stop there? Take it up a notch by coming out to one of our awesome National Estuaries Week events! We’ll have a great line-up throughout that week, so choose whichever ones fit your schedule and help us celebrate Tampa Bay (bonus points if you come to all of them)!

Saturday, 8/21: Give-A-Day for the Bay: Pasco County

Monday, 8/23: Trek and Chat: Lettuce Lake Park

Tuesday, 8/24: Brews and the Bay: Motorworks Brewing

Wednesday, 8/25: Social Science Presentations: Virtual

Tampa Bay Debris Derby

Come join us for a trash cleanup! The second annual Tampa Bay Debris Derby will be held October 5th at E.G. Simmons Park. 

Join the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Power-Pole, Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, Skinny Water Culture, and Ocean Aid 360 to clean up the bay and win prizes! How does it work? Teams or individuals collect trash from anywhere in Tampa Bay, either by water or land. You’ll earn one raffle ticket for each bag of trash or large item weighed in. The more trash you collect, the more chances you have to win! Raffle tickets can be used for prizes like a Power-Pole, fishing charters, Costa Sunglasses, and so much more!

The team who collects the most trash by weight will be crowned the 2024 Debris Derby Heavyweight Champion! A special prize will also be awarded for the strangest item collected.

Registration is FREE and includes a Tampa Bay Debris Derby shirt designed by Skinny Water Culture and lunch provided by La Segunda Bakery.

Learn more and sign up

Explore Tampa Bay

Explore Tampa Bay! TBEP and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute have created a digital guide to getting outside in Tampa Bay. A boating and fishing map allows you to easily find piers, clean marinas, and artificial reefs, while keeping an eye out for slow zones. Sort by type of reef or boat ramp to streamline your results. Find information on boating and fishing regulations, seagrass safe boating, ethical angling, and how to report hazards and wildlife. The guide also features information about paddling, diving, and snorkeling if those activities are more your speed. 

Not sure you have your sea legs yet? A separate recreation map lists parks and preserves for activities on land. The park lists are easy to browse and include fees, hours, amenities, and more! This guide is a one-stop shop for the Tampa Bay adventurer. And the best part? It's free!

Check it out

Photo by Ron Gillis

2024 Great Bay Scallop Search

Volunteers at Fort de Soto Park, Grandview Park, and Emerson Point Preserve donned masks and snorkels and hopped in the bay to search the seagrass for scallops. This year, they were lucky enough to find 263 scallops - the highest count in 15 years!

In partnership with Tampa Bay Watch, we monitor scallops as key indicators of water quality. A healthy scallop population is a sign of a healthy bay!

A huge thank you all of our volunteers who spent their Saturday with us to make Scallop Search a success. Special shoutout to Mazzaro’s Italian Market for the delicious lunch!

Dive into the data

Hispanics for Our Environment Kayak Clean-Up | Sep 14

Tampa Bay Kayak Anglers is celebrating Latino Conservation Week with a clean-up at Gandy Beach. Volunteers will collect debris on and off the water.

Mirror Lake Clean-Up | Sep 14

Help keep your city beautiful with a cleanup event at Mirror Lake in St. Petersburg.

Give-A-Day for the Bay: Pasco County | Sep 21

Kick off National Estuaries Week with a trash clean-up on Lake Patience Road. Free lunch and t-shirt for volunteers!

International Coastal Clean-Up Day | Sep 21

Head out to a coastal clean up at Indian Rocks Beach. Pick up trash and enjoy a mini market, live music, and light refreshments.

Hillsborough River Coastal Clean-Up | Sep 21

Join Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful for an International Coastal Clean-Up at Desoto Park in Tampa. For more information, email David Graves at dgraves242@gmail.com.

Ladyfish Luncheon | Sep 21

Join the Suncoast Youth Conservation Center for a youth-centered fishing clinic designed to increase female engagement with angling. For more information, email Suncoast@MyFWC.com.

Trek and Chat | Sep 23

Join TBEP, Hillsborough County, and DEP for a guided tour of Lettuce Lake Park! We’ll talk about native plants and animals, habitat, and nearby restoration projects. Registration required.

Brews and the Bay | Sep 24

TBEP is teaming up with the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program to bring back Brews and the Bay! Join us at Motorworks Brewing from 6-8pm for drinks, games, and trivia! No registration required.

Social Science Subcommittee (National Estuaries Week) | Sep 25

Join us for a special National Estuaries Week Social Science Subcommittee meeting. We’ll hear from scientists across the country about social science initiatives in their estuaries!

Reef and Beach Clean-Up | Sep 28 & 29

Join Suncoast Aqua Ventures in Terra Ceia for a trash collection event. Clean up your local waters and bring the family for activities, cash prizes, and raffles!

Tampa Bay Debris Derby | Oct 5

Join us to clean trash from Tampa Bay! The more trash you collect, the more tickets you earn. Raffle tickets can be used for prizes provided by our amazing sponsors.

Florida Birding & Nature Festival | Oct 17-20

A local favorite! The Florida Birding & Nature Festival is back with four days of field and boat trips, expert seminars, keynote speakers, and a great free nature expo.

City of St. Petersburg Tree Mini-Grants - Apply by September 9

Bay Mini-Grants - Apply by September 13

NOAA Marine Debris Removal - Apply by September 27

Partners for Fish and Wildlife - Apply by September 30

NOAA Marine Debris Interception Technologies - Apply by October 9

RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program - Apply by October 31

Citizen Science Projects for Improved Stock Assessments and Climate-Ready Fisheries Management - Apply by November 4

Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants - Apply by November 21

National Fish Passage Program Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Restoring River, Floodplain, And Coastal Connectivity and Resiliency - Apply by December 31

Education Programs Manager - Bonnet Springs Park - Lakeland

Grants and Communications Specialist - Bonnet Springs Park - Lakeland

Internship - Oyster River Ecology - Manatee County

Stormwater Compliance Manager - Pinellas County - Clearwater

Environmental Lands Management Specialist - Hillsborough County - Tampa