Port Manatee Project Earns Top Honors

The transformation of a 60-acre spoil island into a bird sanctuary garnered top honors from the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. The $7.3 million project, a joint venture of the Manatee County Port Authority, Gulfstream Natural Gas System and Florida Audubon, beat out seven other contenders for the annual Future of the Region Award.

For decades, the spoil mound sat unused as exotic vegetation and predatory animals kept birds at bay. Though Port Manatee's state lease allowed commercial development of the island, the port authority instead chose to enhance the island's environmental value. Exotic species were removed, allowing native plants to flourish. The island was re-sculpted to create elevated open spaces framed by mangrove marsh areas for nesting and feeding birds. Florida Audubon counted 63 species of birds utilizing the new sanctuary after the project was completed in 2003. In its debut nesting season, eighteen nesting species were noted on the island, including 60 pairs of least terns, a threatened species.

Ghostbusters Returning To Tampa Bay

A pilot program this spring was so successful that the ghostbusters are planning a return trip in the fall to clean up abandoned crab traps - or ghost traps - that litter the floor of Tampa Bay, many still killing creatures including crabs, terrapin and fish.

"We got more than 100 lost traps in about six square miles going from just north of the Alafia to Pendola Point," said Peter Clark, director of Tampa Bay Watch. "There are thousands of traps out there that have been accumulating for decades."

Until recently, it was illegal to remove crab traps without an owner's permission, but new regulations allow derelict traps to be removed under a state-approved plan.

The ghostbusters committee, which includes the Pinellas County Environmental Fund, Tampa Bay Estuary Program, the Ocean Conservancy and Tampa Bay Watch, is now recruiting volunteers with shallow-draft boats and aircraft. "We need pretty specialized volunteers for this effort," Clark notes. A date for the second clean-up hasn't been finalized as we go to press.

Stamp Out Yard Invaders

Free seminars for homeowners on techniques for removing invasive species such as Brazilian pepper, air potato and skunk vine can be scheduled through the Hillsborough County Invasive Species Task Force. The presentations provide detailed tips for identifying the most common invasive plant species in the Tampa Bay region, and step-by-step instructions for eradicating them in home landscapes.

It's an important initiative because a single invasive tree or vine can provide a continual source of seeds that allow the plants to spread to wild areas such as nature parks and preserves.

To schedule a presentation, please contact Marina D'Abreau-Pryce at the Hillsborough County Extension Service by calling 813-744-5519, ext. 144 or emailing mrpryce@ifas.ufl.edu, or through the Tampa Bay Estuary Program by calling Nanette Holland at 727-893-2765 or e-mailing nanette@tbep.org.

For more information about invasive species in Tampa Bay, download "A Field Guide to Invasive Plants of the Tampa Bay Region."

Research Institute Renamed In FWC Reorganization

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently won legislative approval for a reorganization that will unite all of the state's ongoing research involving freshwater, marine, and wildlife resources. As part of the reorganization effort, the Florida Marine Research Institute has changed its name and web address to reflect the addition of freshwater and wildlife research to its existing marine science facilities. From now on, it will be known as the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI). T he new name also means a new Web address for FWRI. Please visit FWRI online.

Tampa Bay is getting better
You can help

Buy a Tampa Bay Estuary tag and help keep Tampa Bay on the road to recovery. They're available year-round in your local tax collector's office or request a Tampa Bay Estuary tag with your annual renewal.

The cost is $27 for the first year and $17 after that - with $15 going directly to projects that benefit the estuary, including the publication of Bay Soundings.

A message from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council 's Agency on Bay Management.

Original artwork by Russ Sirmons