Environmental News & Tidbits in Pinellas County November 2018

Sea Turtle Trackers

Sea Turtle Trackers, Inc is an all volunteer organization that has protected sea turtles on St Pete Beach and Shell Key for more than 35 years. Through public education and cooperation the mission of Sea Turtle Trackers, Inc. is to assure a suitable habitat for sea turtles, people and the ecosystem of the islands and their surrounding waters.

Shell Key is a small barrier island accessible only by boat. The past two years have been record breaking because there were more sea turtle nests on Shell Key than ever recorded in the organization’s 35 plus year history.

Shell Key is only accessible by boat. In order to effectively monitor the growing population of sea turtles on Shell Key reliable transportation was an immediate need for Sea Turtle Tracker’s, Inc. In the past the organization relied on Good Samaritans with boats and a little extra time on their hands. However, due to the increase of activity on the island, it was time for Sea Turtle Trackers, Inc. to have their own boat.

Thanks to a grant from the Sea Turtle Conservancy a boat was purchased just before nesting season, which begins in May. Without this grant Sea Turtle Trackers, Inc. would not have had enough funds to purchase a boat. The 2018 nesting season was another fruitful one, and the volunteers and staff of Sea Turtle Trackers, Inc. were able to rest easy knowing that this year reliable transportation was made possible by Sea Turtle Conservancy.

For more information on Sea Turtle Trackers, Inc. and how to get involved please visit www.seaturtletrackers.org

To learn more about the Sea Turtle Conservancy and their efforts to support groups helping sea turtles all across Florida please visit www.conserveturtles.org

Lucy Monette, Board Member; Sea Turtle Trackers, Inc.,  (727) 501-5581, Lucy@SeaTurtleTrackers.org

TAMPA BAY WATCH

3000 Pinellas Bayway South, Tierra Verde, FL 33715-2516
tampabaywatch.org

Ghost Crab

No, the Ghost Crab is not the ghost of a deceased crab. In fact, this crab gets its name from their pale color and nocturnal behavior. They almost seem to glow as they scurry over the sand at night. Ghost Crabs inhabit beach ecosystems in warmer regions, such as Tampa Bay. Ghost crabs feed on insects, filter-feeders and the eggs and hatchlings of loggerhead turtles. They will also scavenge for vegetation.

Take a peek inside! Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center

The Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center at the new St. Pete Pier will encompass approximately 3,000 sq. ft. of covered roof area that includes an Exhibit Hall facing west and a Classroom facing east. The Exhibit Hall will feature an array of informative, fun, and interactive exhibits that will bring awareness about our Tampa Bay ecosystem. In addition, a dedicated classroom will allow for educational programming. In this space, Tampa Bay Watch will be able to offer exhibit experiences, engaging programs, environmental stewardship education, and community volunteerism.

Naming opportunities are available for the Discovery Center including the exhibit hall, classroom, exhibits, and more. For more information on how you can help, please click here to contact Pamela Arbisi or call 727-867-8166, x222.

McKay Bay South restoration project

Volunteers helped for 10/18-10/19 to build oyster shell bar Tampa Bay Watch successfully completed our first oyster shell project of the season last week. Over the three day project, 10/4-10/6, 136 volunteers created 358 feet of reef using 30 tons of shell. Our efforts will help to restore lost habitat systems to the bay, prevent further erosion of the shoreline, and improve water quality through natural biological filtration.

We are recruiting volunteers to create an oyster shell bar on the shoreline of McKay Bay on several more dates this fall. The project location is Desoto Park, 2617 Corrine St., Tampa, FL 33605. Oyster shell projects involve shoveling fossilized shell into mesh bags, transporting the bags to the project site and placing oyster shell bags on the shoreline to create a series of oyster bars.

It is pretty physical labor with oyster shell bags weighing around 30 pounds each, so the minimum age to participate is 15 years old.

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