ECO
By Nanette Wiser
Sea Turtle Protection
Marine turtle nesting and hatching occurs each year from May 1-Oct. 31. Female turtles come ashore in the dark, dig a hole using their flippers, and lay 100 to 150 eggs at a time. During the course of a season, a single female lays three to eight nests. After a 45-to-70-day gestation period, hatchlings emerge from the nest at night and follow the moonlight reflecting off the Gulf. Sea turtles can become disoriented from lights and illuminated objects visible from the beach. Most importantly, bright lights disorient hatchlings by attracting them inland where they often die of dehydration, predation, or are run over by motor vehicles. It is very important that occupants and managers of beachfront properties minimize the lights that shine directly on the beach. Information about turtle friendly beach lighting at www.myfwc.com.
St. Pete’s Eco-Friendly Toolkit
The city’s Eco-Friendly Business Toolkit to assists businesses and customers with this transition. The first toolkit module is available and outlines why regulating single-use plastics is necessary, summarizes ordinance information and suggests next steps for businesses. Eliminating plastic straws (2019-2020) and single use plastic and Styrofoam are part of the sustainability plan. Why limit plastic consumption? Based on current behaviors, it is estimated that plastic in the water will outweigh fish by 2050. Straws and stirrers are the fifth most common plastic in ocean clean-ups. Some 500 million plastic straws are used each day in the U.S. 700 marine species are affected, and millions of marine animals are killed each year by marine plastic. When plastic ends up in our waterways, it doesn’t go “away.” It breaks down into smaller pieces of plastic that are consumed by marine life, animals and humans. www.stpete.org/sustainability
Tracking Piney Point Run-Off
A computer model initially developed by the University of South Florida College of Marine Science to track red tide and ocean currents has quickly been adapted and is now being used to support the efforts to understand the transport, transformation and fate of contaminants in wastewater released into Tampa Bay from the retired Piney Point fertilizer plant. The Tampa Bay Coastal Ocean Model has been available to the public as a nowcast/forecast model since September 2018 when it simulated how Tampa Bay responded to Hurricane Irma. This ocean circulation model, along with the larger scale West Florida Coastal Ocean Model, are used to track red tides based on the currents driven by winds, tides and deeper ocean forces. These two models were immediately modified to forecast the dispersal of effluent water and its constituents released from Piney Point. The results, available for the public to view online, are being used to help guide interdisciplinary sampling efforts by a USF team, agency personnel and others in gathering on-the-ground field data to assess the impacts of the spill. As the team forecasted, the highest nutrient concentrations presently occur along lower Tampa Bay’s east coast. The discharge water, according to USF researcher Bob Weisberg, is sloshing back and forth with the tides, while slowly moving south from Port Manatee, diluting and eventually making its way to the Gulf of Mexico.
Hurricane Prep
Hurricane season runs from June 1-November 30, but locals know storms can form any time of year, from tornados to gusty thunderstorms. In 2020, Tropical Storm Arthur and Bertha occurred in May. It’s everyone’s responsibility to be prepared with a game plan that includes obtaining a proof of residence emergency permit if you live on the barrier beaches so you can return after a storm. This year is likely to be busier than average. The 2021 Atlantic Basin Storm names are Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny, Elsa, Fred, Grace, Henri, Ida, Julian, Kate, Larry, Mindy, Nicholas, Odette, Peter, Rose, Sam, Teresa, Victor, Wanda…and we hope not to see the Greek alphabet in play for the 2021 storm season.
- Know your evacuation zone
- Create an emergency supplies kit and stock up. Remember your pets’ needs too.
- Have a list of important documents and medications
- Think about finances – have extra cash available in the event of power outages
- Write your hurricane plan and review with the family
- Review your insurance policies
- Strengthen your home
- Get your emergency access permit. pcsoweb.com/emergency-access-permit
With so many people moving here from other places, including non-tropical locations, hurricanes may seem like a fairy tale. Because it’s important to be prepared, Paradise News is aggregating contact and useful government and other links on the website for readers to consult in addition to Pinellas County’s guide at pinellascounty.org/emergency/default.htm#hurricaneguide.