- Ecosystem Health Update: How Healthy Are Sarasota–Manatee Bays?
- Featured News
- Winter Watershed Wrap
- SBEP's New Science and Restoration Manager
- Restoration Updates
- Community Events & Programs
- Partner Happenings
- Water Reading Around the Web
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Ecosystem Health Update:
How Healthy Are Sarasota–Manatee Bays?
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Every year, we create an Ecosystem Health Report Card to track conditions in each of our five bay segments. What did we see in 2025?
The Sarasota–Manatee region experienced dramatic environmental swings from 2024 to 2025, including intense hurricanes followed by prolonged drought. Storms brought heavy rainfall, storm surge, and increased nutrient runoff, temporarily impacting water quality.
However, conditions improved significantly throughout 2025 as the system began to recover.
Despite these challenges, local bays remain healthy and resilient. Notable observations include:
- Water quality rebounded across most areas, with nutrient levels returning to target ranges after short-term storm impacts.
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Seagrass, an important indicator of ecosystem health, showed strong recovery in 2024, with Sarasota Bay seeing a 24% increase and reaching near-historic levels. Updated seagrass maps, showing conditions for 2025 and 2026, will be published in 2027.
- Macroalgae levels stayed low in 2025.
- Scientists continue to monitor changes in lower bay segments following the reopening of Midnight Pass, which is increasing tidal flow and influencing water conditions.
- Nutrient levels in Blackburn Bay remain slightly elevated due to limited tidal flushing. While still below regulatory concern, it will require continued monitoring.
Overall, the region’s estuaries are demonstrating strong resilience. Ongoing investments in water quality improvements, habitat restoration, and hydrologic management are helping support recovery and protect these ecosystems for the future.
| | Featured News: Voices From the Community | |
What does it take to preserve a slice of “Old Florida”? We asked the women who are doing it.
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, but its strong maritime ties have proven unbreakable since the 1880s. In this article, two long-time residents shared their stories and contributions with us.
View article
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From Every Angle: Decades of Change in the Sarasota–Manatee Estuary Through the Eyes of Its Fishermen
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 over time.
View article
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Community Cleanup Removes Tons of Debris from Land and Water
During SBEP’s annual Whitaker Bayou ECOmmunity Day in January, 72 participants representing 16 organizations came together to make a huge impact, removing 1,001 pounds of debris from the bayou and more than a ton of debris from the Orange Blossom Community Garden.
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Bay Fest Garners 700 Guests
700 people and 24 organizations joined SBEP, Sarasota County, and The Bay for the third annual Bay Fest. Participants learned about Sarasota Bay, stewardship, and science through interactive learning and presentations from experts. The 2026 theme, Wonders of Water, included presentations from the Sarasota Dolphin Research Institute and a virtual snorkel with SBEP.
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Preserving Environment & Culture in Historic Cortez
50 people huddled inside the Cortez Cultural Center to learn about local environmental conservation and historical preservation. Talks were followed by a guided tour of FISH Preserve, a 100-acre coastal preserve, restored in part by SBEP, that now features walking trails, bridges, and a kayak launch.
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Sarasota Bay Estuary Program Welcomes Nicole Iadevaia as New Science and Restoration Manager
Please join us in welcoming Nicole Iadevaia as SBEP's new Science and Restoration Manager. Nicole brings extensive experience in environmental science, including water quality, fisheries monitoring, and habitat restoration across Florida. She has worked with the University of Colorado, Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Sarasota County, and a sister National Estuary Program. At SBEP, Nicole leads restoration projects and scientific programs, ensuring work is grounded in current science and clearly communicated to the community. She is passionate about helping stakeholders balance ecosystem health with community needs.
View our Q&A with Nicole
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park Nears Completion
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park project consists of three primary components: a stepped shoreline to enhance waterside recreation, a kayak launch to provide public access to Whitaker Bayou, and enhanced native landscaping along the shoreline. The project is near completion, with plantings scheduled over the next several weeks.
Learn more
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Rose Park Ramps Up
The Rose Park Living Shoreline project is a two-phase initiative to restore and enhance the shoreline of Rose Park, a small public park owned and managed by Manatee County along the eastern edge of Palma Sola Bay. The project will transform a hardened shoreline into a resilient, nature-based coastal system that improves water quality, restores habitat, and protects the bay from storm impacts. Phase 1, design and permitting, is about to kickoff.
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Living Seawall Coming to Life
At Longboat Key's Bayfront Park, seawall panels from our latest restoration project are quickly welcoming residents. In just a few months, the textured panels have begun to host barnacles, algae, starfish, and other small organisms, creating the foundation for a microhabitat that supports fish and invertebrates while helping protect the shoreline.
Explore the living seawall
| | See You There! Public Events & Programs | |
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Earth Day at the Bay
Join SBEP and other local organizations for hands-on, family-friendly, free activities that celebrate nature, movement, and science. This event will be held at The Bay Park on Saturday, April 18, from 11 AM to 1 PM.
Learn more
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Annual Bowlees Creek Cleanup
Join the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, Suncoast Aqua Ventures, Wayne Adventures, and Bahia Mar West Marina on Saturday, May 9, from 8 AM to 1 PM for the annual Bowlees Creek Cleanup. Registration required.
Register
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Veterans Kayaking Program: Become a Volunteer or Participant
SBEP is proud to partner with Wayne Adventures to offer free therapeutic kayak trips for local veterans, with a special focus on those living with PTSD.
These guided kayak experiences are designed to be welcoming, supportive, and restorative.
Learn more
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Educator Workshops
SBEP sponsors professional development workshops for K-12 teachers in Manatee and Sarasota Counties. The full-day workshops are offered three times a year by Sandra L. Gilchrist, Ph.D., Professor of Biology at New College of Florida. The focus of the workshops is to improve teaching skills and the understanding of science while empowering teachers to use modern techniques. Workshops run a full-day on Saturdays. Educators may earn a stipend and continuing education credits for attendance.
Learn more
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Watershed Explorers Summer Experience
Big Waters Land Trust, in partnership with SBEP, is offering a free, week-long program for youth ages 14–17 to explore local parks, preserves, and waterways across Sarasota and Manatee counties. Participants will learn about watersheds, water quality, and environmental stewardship through hands-on activities like kayaking, hiking, and wildlife observation, while connecting with environmental professionals and learning about conservation careers.
Learn more
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Suncoast Curtain Call
Looking to have fun and support local nonprofits? Come out on April 4 for a family-friendly afternoon featuring live music and performance art, with more mature performances at 7:30 pm and community karaoke at 8:00 pm. General admission is just $10. Sponsorship opportunities are also available, offering recognition and perks while supporting the Resilience Incubator’s mission to advance sustainability and community-driven solutions across the Suncoast.
Learn more
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Job Opportunities
The Elling Eide Center, is a private, nonprofit research library and 72‑acre nature preserve overlooking Little Sarasota Bay is hiring for multiple positions.
The Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Program is hiring a Restoration Manager to oversee restoration projects across 10 FL counties and a Research & GIS Manager to oversee its GIS and research projects across 10 FL counties.
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Director's Notes
Field Notes
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Lights, Camera, Action! SBEP in the News
| | Water Reading Around the Web | | |
Oyster River Ecology is using rag pots to grow oysters in areas of the Manatee River. Each pot can grow hundreds of oysters that filter the river's water.
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A new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) outlines a steep decline in the economic stability of the Gulf shrimp harvesting industry, citing falling revenues, increased competition from imports, and shrinking participation in the fishery.
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Florida conservationists warn of a critical funding shortfall threatening the state's remaining wild lands.
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Sarasota County is in an extreme drought right now, with new water restriction orders significantly limiting outdoor watering—and even water service at restaurants.
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The law, which will take effect July 1, calls for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to create a permitting process for installing living shorelines that will have a faster application review.
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An architect by training and an avid angler, Van de Riet has long been interested in finding ways to improve the design of coastal infrastructure so that it benefits more than just people. For more than a decade, his primary focus has been on seawalls, what he calls "a forgotten edge."
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info@sarasotabay.org | (941) 955-8085
111 S. Orange Avenue, Suite 200W
Sarasota, FL 34236
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