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Tag: Ocean Habitats

Mini reefs at pier repaired without approval

Mini reefs at pier repaired without approval

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – Some of the mini reefs installed under the Bridge Street Pier in June 2020 were recently repaired without the approval of Bradenton Beach officials, and the vendor is asking for payment.

In 2020, the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) members authorized a $10,000 expenditure to install 14 double-sized artificial mini reefs in partnership with Ocean Habitats and The Center of Anna Maria Island. The manufactured polypropylene mini reefs were installed to provide new habitats for fish and other marine life underneath the T-end of the Bridge Street Pier. 

Ocean Habitats founder David Wolff and his sons, David Wolff Jr. and Alex Wolff, installed the mini reefs on June 17, 2020, tethering the small structures to lines that allow them to float in the top 2 feet of water beneath the pier.

Mini reefs at pier repaired without approval
David Wolff Jr. positioned the mini reefs below the Bridge Street Pier in 2020. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

The unauthorized repairs were discussed at a Nov. 2 CRA meeting. City Attorney Ricinda Perry said Ocean Habitats recently requested a $700 payment for repairs made without the CRA or city’s knowledge. Perry added that she then corresponded with Ocean Habitats founder David Wolff and The Center’s Jim McDaniel regarding the matter.

During Wednesday’s meeting, she said the one-time mini reef installation in 2020 did not contractually bind the CRA to any future maintenance or repair requirements or costs, thus the CRA is not legally obligated to pay the repair bill.

Perry said it’s up to the CRA members to decide whether CRA funds are used to pay for the repairs. She also said the city’s public works department could remove the mini reefs prior to the pending installation of the finger piers that will extend perpendicular to the floating dock that sits next to the pier. 

CRA member John Chappie said he’s in favor of the CRA paying the repair bill, but he believes an Ocean Habitats representative needs to first appear before CRA members provide a detailed report regarding the repairs made. He also said the repair and maintenance process needs to be corrected to prevent similar occurrences from happening again. 

The other CRA members agreed with this approach and that the payment will be withheld until the requested report is received.

Reel Time: The Center, clean and green

Reel Time: The Center, clean and green

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Algae, Outdoors, Red tide, Reel Time.

The Center of Anna Maria Island has long been a valuable resource for the citizens and visitors to the Island. In 2019, under the leadership of the Center’s executive director, Chris Culhane, and the director of development, Jim McDaniel, the Center officially added an environmental dimension to its mission in response to the 18-month red tide that devastated the Island’s marine resources and local businesses.

In 2019, after a conversation with Island entrepreneur and Manatee County environmental leader Ed Chiles, The Center began a relationship with Ocean Habitats Inc., the designer and builder of Mini Reefs. To date, almost 200 units have been distributed and are annually filtering more than two billion gallons of water and helping provide habitat for the new growth of an estimated 54,000 fish and 36,000 crabs.

The Center branded its annual fund that year as “Go Green” and hosted Philippe Cousteau, son of the legendary marine explorer and environmentalist Jacques Cousteau, as its campaign kick-off speaker. Cousteau develops relationships with The Center and its patrons at Beach Bistro.

In 2020, the Center’s crop of Mini Reefs grew to more than 150 units. Philippe Cousteau came back that year to introduce the Center’s “Go Green 2” campaign keynote speakers from Clearwater Marine Research Institute, Dr. James “Buddy” Powell and Dr. Ann Mari Alvarez. Third-grader Addy Du Toit interviewed Cousteau before his introduction and shares her passion to protect the environment by having students in local schools trade in their plastic toothbrushes for bamboo brushes. Cousteau fell in love with Addy, as has the community. Addy has also put up recycling receptacles in The Center and spoken to children in the Beyond The Classroom afterschool program. That same year Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria participated in Mini Reef installations at the Bradenton Beach Pier and AMI Historical Society docks.

In 2021, the Center continued growing its initiative in a newly designated lab space. Grants are awarded to the Center to support the initiative from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Manatee Community Foundation, the AMI Chamber of Commerce and private donors. The initiative also partnered with the Blue Waters Coalition, an organization that includes citizen-science groups from the Siesta Key Association and the city of Venice. The Center coordinates visits from these groups and schedules them on data gathering outings and training sessions with the support of Eckerd College’s marine science program, its students and teacher Dr. Jorge Angulo.

Each group has installed Mini Reefs and is developing data gathering with the same data points and methods for future collaboration between sites in a group study to be developed in 2022-23. The Center has events planned between Nov. 21 and Jan. 14 that have members of the community engaged in supporting their environment such as:

  • Citizen-science participation in Bimini Bay Initiative
  • Center beach cleanups on the first Saturday of each month at 9 a.m. Volunteers gather at the Center.
  • A community scavenger hunt
  • Holiday turtle painting decoration

The Center has an ambitious plan for the future and has programs for all Island residents. Stay tuned for more environmentally focused advocacy, and join the initiative at www.centerami.org.

Reef project helps filter local waters

City creates adopt-a-reef program

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners support The Center of Anna Maria Island’s mini reef project, however, budgetary concerns have them hoping that residents will donate to purchase a reef instead of the city spending tax dollars.

Commissioners Kim Rash, Terry Schaefer and Carol Soustek voted to institute an adopt-a-reef program to help further the request of The Center’s Director of Development, Jim McDaniel, for 20 mini reefs.

The project would place the reefs in the waters around Anna Maria Island, primarily underneath city-owned docks, at a cost of $7,300. After hearing from McDaniel, commissioners discussed the prospect of buying the requested reefs. While they said they consider the project a worthwhile endeavor to help clean the waters around the Island, with the budget constraints the city is already facing in the coming fiscal year, they didn’t feel that the added expense was one they could bear.

After consulting with City Treasurer Lori Hill, commissioners discovered that they couldn’t use funds donated by the estate of Billie Martini for the purchase, and decided that they also couldn’t in good conscience use taxpayer ad valorem funds, which are forecast to be less than what the city needs in the coming fiscal year. The adopt-a-reef program was a compromise, putting the approval of Holmes Beach city leaders behind the project without committing any city funds.

Under the adopt-a-reef program, Holmes Beach residents, business owners and other community members are encouraged to adopt one of the reefs, to be placed in approved spots underneath city-owned docks. The reefs are $365 each to purchase, which includes the reef and installation by Ocean Habitats as well as a donation to The Center.

Mayor Judy Titsworth said that while she appreciates what The Center is trying to do for the community and its waters with the mini reef project, she’s more in favor of seeding clams or scallops which leaves no unnatural products in the water and also works to clear the water of contaminants. She also expressed concern that installing the reefs underneath the city-owned T-end docks might dissuade people from wanting to rent the docks for their boats. She also worried that the floating mini reefs might rub up against boats.

Commissioner Pat Morton agreed that he would prefer a natural solution to local water issues instead of supporting the reef project. Commissioner Kim Rash said that while he supports a natural approach, he also supports what The Center is doing and that they have a solution being implemented now. Commissioner Jim Kihm said that he shared some of the mayor’s reservations, particularly when there are other options available.

To donate to The Center’s reef project, visit the website or contact the nonprofit at 941-778-1908.

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