The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper

Vol. 15 No. 42 - August 19, 2015

reel time

8th Annual Scallop Search

Reel time

rusty chinnis | submitted

The blue eyed scallop is a unique and important bivalve.

 

 

The 8th Annual Scallop Search, Sarasota Bay Watch’s signature and longest standing event, is slated for Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Mar Vista Dockside restaurant on Longboat Key. This free event engages the public in what has been called citizen science because it assists scientists with monitoring the scallops in Sarasota Bay. The search is a boating event, but Sarasota Bay Watch (SBW) will make an attempt to place non boaters on boats when possible.

To assess the populations of the bay a grid is constructed that covers areas of the bay and volunteers snorkel looking for scallops. The Scallop Search has been conducted since 2007 and was initiated with support provided by Tampa Bay Watch. During the annual monitoring event, volunteers snorkel along set transect lines.

A transect line is a line anchored on each end with a float. Swimmers snorkel along the 50 meter line with the assistance of a one meter PVC pipe. Each snorkeler covers each side of the line. Each team of snorkelers’ searches two transects.

The goal is to get enough transects in the water to allow maximum collection of data possible. The event brings friends and family together on the water. Besides the search for scallops, the experience also makes participants aware of the local marine life and their place in the bay’s ecosystem. There is an excellent YouTube video produced by Sea Grant that explains the whole process. Access it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk3Y9K-0-Cw .

Some years volunteers find large numbers of scallops, and other years they find very few. There are many factors that affect the health of scallops including hurricanes, red tide and high rainfall (affecting salinity). Bay scallops, once plentiful throughout Sarasota Bay, disappeared in the early 1960s when bay waters were polluted from municipal wastes, dredging and subsequent habitat loss. In the recent past the water quality and seagrass beds have improved to levels that may once again support bay scallops. This is one of the driving forces behind SBW’s scallop restoration efforts.

Scallops are one of the most important filter feeders in the marine world, cleansing vast quantities of water. This event is a perfect family activity. The search requires swimming and snorkeling abilities. It is done over the grass flats ideally in shallow water.

There will be a complimentary lunch for volunteers after the search hosted by the Chiles Group at the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub, 760 Broadway Street, Longboat Key. This is a no harvest event.

Participants will need to bring a mask and snorkel, fins, sunscreen, water, dive flag (if available) and a weight belt. The only other requirements are good eyes and a great spirit! Enjoy a great day on the water, a cool dip and a scrumptious lunch while helping document scallop populations. Registration is required, so go to www.sarasotabaywatch.org.


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