Sweet clover at Robinson Preserve. - Cindy Lane | Sun
A kayak trail at Robinson Preserve. - Cindy Lane | Sun
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is visible from the observation tower at Robinson Preserve. - Cindy Lane | Sun
The NEST at Robinson Preserve. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Perico Bayou at Robinson Preserve - Cindy Lane | Sun
Perico Bayou at Robinson Preserve - Cindy Lane | Sun
Robinson Preserve observation tower - Cindy Lane | Sun
The Valentine house - Cindy Lane | Sun
The Valentine house on its way to Robinson Preserve in the Manatee River - Cindy Lane | Sun
Old-growth trees surround the NEST at the Robinson Preserve Expansion. - Cindy Lane | Sun
An osprey seeks prey at Robinson Preserve. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Kayak launch at Robinson Preserve. - Cindy Lane | Sun
The foot bridge is a popular fishing spot at Robinson Preserve. - Cindy Lane | Sun
The NEST at Robinson Preserve - Cindy Lane | Sun
- Cindy Lane | Sun
View from the observation tower - Cindy Lane | Sun
View from the observation tower - Cindy Lane | Sun
The Sunshine Skyway bridge from Robinson Preserve - Cindy Lane | Sun
Kayak tours at Robinson Preserve - Cindy Lane | Sun
Kayak tours at Robinson Preserve - Cindy Lane | Sun
Kayak tours at Robinson Preserve - Cindy Lane | Sun
- Cindy Lane | Sun
Robinson Preserve from Perico Preserve. - Cindy Lane | Sun
A pelican feeds in an estuary at Robinson Preserve. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Mullet school in an estuary at Robinson Preserve. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Pines and palmettos abound at Robinson Preserve. - Cindy Lane | Sun
A white ibis feeding at Robinson Preserve. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Mangroves line an estuary at Robinson Preserve. Cindy Lane | Sun
A white egret feeding at Robinson Preserve. Cindy Lane | Sun
The 637-acre Robinson Preserve, bordered by the Manatee River, Tampa Bay, Palma Sola Bay and Perico Bayou, offers dog-friendly hiking, biking and kayak trails and tours of the historic Valentine House, which was relocated by barge from Palmetto.
The preserve, at 1704 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, opens at 7:30 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. daily. Entrances are at the western end of 17th Avenue Northwest in Bradenton, at the end of 9th Avenue Northwest and on the south side of Manatee Avenue west of the Perico Island Bridge.
Two of my favorite activities are riding my bike and fishing. Often, my fishing adventures involved a boat. While I still fish more from a boat, biking allows me a way to get in some excellent fishing without having to do the work of getting the boat in and out of the water. This option has opened a new avenue for getting in some fishing and a ride.
For anglers who don’t have easy access to a boat, a bike can take you to some excellent angling opportunities. A good example is Robinson Preserve in Manatee County. The park is a treasure for walkers, bikers, kayakers and anyone who enjoys the outdoors. It also provides access to Perico Bayou and Tampa Bay. In addition, it also holds a maze of canals that, based on recent observations, hold some terrific fishing. On a bike ride to the park recently, I encountered several anglers who had used their bikes to access the bridges that span the preserve’s canals and outlets to Tampa Bay. When I reached a favorite spot for a water break near the bay, I saw two anglers far out on a shallow flat I’ve fished many times from my boat. Nearby, leaning against a picnic table were their two bikes with rod holders. I took some pictures along the shoreline and, eventually, the two anglers waded to shore nearby. They had experienced a productive morning of fishing, seen no other anglers and landed some nice redfish and trout.
Although it doesn’t take more than a medium-light spinning rod rigged with an artificial lure to get in the game, I saw other bikers transporting live shrimp and even cast nets for catching bait. My preferred rig is an 8-pound spinning outfit or 8-weight fly rod with a 25- or 30-pound leader. I’m confident in the flies, plugs and jigs I fish, so that’s what I use and what I catch fish on. I double my standing line with a Bimini twist or a spider hitch and then tie my leader to the double line with a blood knot. After tying on a fly, topwater plug or jig with a non-slip mono loop, I stick a spool of leader and a couple of extra flies or lures in my pocket, and I’m good to go.
This time of the year is perfect for the wade fishing opportunities a bike provides access to. All you’ll need is a pair of wading boots or old tennis shoes and a change of pants for the ride home. Bikes can quickly get you to the places you’d find hard to reach, even by boat. You can plan your outing by consulting access points (Google Maps) online, then pack your gear and use your bike to explore some of the area’s less accessible fishing gems.
Try using your bike to expand your fishing horizons. Whether it’s a quick ride to a local pass or one of many local parks near Anna Maria Island, you’ll be surprised at the opportunities it will open up for you.
BRADENTON – Adding to the many abandoned boats littering local waters is a cabin cruiser that has run aground at Robinson Preserve.
A local resident who asked not to be identified contacted The Sun to express concern about the vessel in the hopes that its owner could be found and would take action toward its removal. The resident said the boat has been in that location since January and has not shown any activity except for the disappearance of four marine batteries that had been set on the stern.
At low tide recently, the hull and swim platform were sunk deep in the mud next to the mangroves in the Anna Maria Sound end of the preserve at the far northwest corner of the walking trail. The stern door was open, a bicycle was laying on the bow and a tattered windsock flew above the vessel.
The Can Do III out of Siesta Key/Sarasota, a 34-foot Californian, was likely built in the late 1970s or early 1980s. From the shore, the hull identification number is not visible.
“Derelict vessels are a priority for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The Division of Law Enforcement’s Boating and Waterways Section is spearheading a multi-year effort to dramatically reduce the backlog of derelict vessels currently on the waters of the state,” said Ashlee Sklute, public information coordinator for the FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement. “Unfortunately, derelict vessels continue to be documented by law enforcement on an ongoing basis. These vessels cause the destruction of valuable seagrass resources and endanger marine life. They also threaten human life, safety and property as they drift on or beneath the surface of the water or block navigable waterways, posing a navigational hazard to the boating public.”
The removal process for an at-risk vessel is typically different from that of a derelict vessel, Sklute said.
“It is significantly less expensive to remove an at-risk vessel than a derelict vessel, primarily because an at-risk vessel, by definition, is still floating,” she said.
To help boat owners dispose of unwanted at-risk vessels before they become derelict, the FWC is accepting applications for a Vessel Turn-In Program (VTIP). The program went into effect in 2022.
“The program is still active and staff have received numerous applications from at-risk vessel owners who wish to participate in this innovative program,” Sklute said.
In order to qualify for VTIP, a vessel must be floating upon waters of the state of Florida and cannot be determined derelict by law enforcement. The owner must have received at least one written at-risk warning or citation and possess a clear title to the vessel. To apply for or view program guidelines, visit FWC online or call the FWC Boating and Waterways Division at 850-488-5600 for more information or to report an abandoned or potentially derelict vessel.
I first met Damon Moore at a Sister Keys Cleanup in 2010 when we were introduced by Ann Hodgson of Audubon. Moore worked in environmental consulting for seven years at Stantec before joining Manatee County. In his words, “I loved challenging habitat restoration projects where good problem-solving and project design skills would result in high-quality, cost-effective projects. I was blessed to have the opportunity to work on Manatee County projects like Perico Preserve, Ungarelli Preserve, the Robinson Preserve expansion and Tom Bennett Park as a consultant charged with designing the restoration plans for those properties. I found my niche.”
Moore has high praise for his mentor Charlie Hunsicker, Manatee County’s director of natural resources. “As a consultant, I saw something in him that I was drawn to; Charlie always found a way to move high quality environmental enhancement projects forward, regardless of the challenges. He’s creative and pragmatic and I knew he had big plans for the next 10 years. I wanted to play a direct role managing the implementation of those projects. I joined Charlie’s department and spent the next decade working on some of the most impactful projects in the region.”
When the Robinson Preserve expansion was functionally complete, Moore wanted to branch out and sharpen his skillset by taking on a more diverse geographic range of projects. He found that at Environmental Science Associates, but during a brief tenure there, he said, “I realized the area I call home needed more environmental benefit projects.” That was challenging to facilitate as a consultant, so Moore decided to form a non-profit he would call Oyster River Ecology (ORE) to bring more projects to the Suncoast.
The name ORE is an homage to the Manatee River, historically known as the “Oyster River.” Moore’s understanding of the concept of shifting baselines is a loss of perception of change that occurs when each generation redefines what is “natural.” Moore explains, “To the detriment of residents today and all generations to follow, the prolific oyster beds of the Oyster River were harvested to depletion, but the good news is that restoration projects combined with wise management practices can bring some of that abundance back.” Ultimately, that is Moore’s passion, and his extensive knowledge of restoration practices and proven performance combine to provide hope to all who value the amazing flora and fauna of the Suncoast. ORE recently received its 501(c)(3) designation from the state. Moore is now finalizing the organization’s website and reaching out to the many philanthropic organizations with which the Suncoast is blessed.
Moore currently serves as president of the Manatee Fish and Game Association, where, among many other environmental initiatives, he helped shepherd the passage of the Manatee County land and water referendum, which passed with a 71% vote. The referendum will result in $50 million worth of funding for conservation projects in the county. I and many other anglers and citizens who have seen first-hand the decline of water quality, habitat, and bird and fish populations are excited at the prospect of ORE. Its focus on restoration projects is essential to a region whose baselines are a foundation of the local economy and are critically endangered.
BRADENTON – Manatee County’s Robinson Preserve has been named a “2022 Travelers’ Choice” destination by Tripadvisor.
The 682-acre coastal wetland habitat is in the top 10% of attractions worldwide, according to the publication.
Both visitors and locals enjoy exploring the 2.5-mile paved trail as well as the 5 miles of shell coastal trails.
Tripadvisor honors Robinson Preserve. Jason Schaffer | Sun
“We bring our bikes out here at least once a month and ride the trails as a family,” said Keith Brisco, of Lakewood Ranch, riding the trails with his wife, Kathy, and three children. “It’s a beautiful ride, and easy even for the younger kids. They love going up the tower; it’s a must every time we come out here.”
The tower Brisco speaks of is a 40-foot observation tower open to the public, with a view that includes four counties and five bodies of water. In addition to walking, running or biking, Robinson Preserve also offers 3 miles of blueways for paddlers to navigate mangrove tunnels, marshes and more connecting to the Manatee River, Perico Bayou and Palma Sola Bay.
“This is a great honor,” Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes said. “It truly reflects the commitment to preserving and restoring sensitive lands and natural resources.”
The main entrance of Robinson Preserve is located at 1704 99th St. N.W. with another vehicle entrance at 10299 Ninth Ave. N.W. An aquatic entrance for kayakers is at the west end of the Palma Sola Causeway, and a bike- or hike-in entrance is north of the parking lot at the humpback bridge at Perico Island.
TAMPA BAY – When the thick, slimy algae known as lyngbya gets into a boat motor, the fishing trip, dolphin tour, or sunset cruise is over.
A local tour boat operator fears it may not only stifle business but suffocate seagrass and even marine life if something isn’t done about it.
Captain Ben Webb, of AMI Dolphin Tours, helped coordinate a cleanup today of the Waterline Marina in Holmes Beach at the marina’s expense. High-pressure water from a hose pushed mats of algae against a seawall, where it was vacuumed into a tanker truck for disposal.
It’s not easy to talk about the smelly mess.
Lyngbya in an Anna Maria Island canal today. – Cindy Lane | Sun
“It’s kind of a catch-22,” Webb said. “If we tell everybody about it, then our businesses drop, but if we don’t tell everybody about it, all of our seagrasses, everything’s gonna die.”
Growing mats of lyngbya can cover large areas and be several feet deep, impeding navigation and recreation, smothering submerged plants and clogging water intakes, according to the University of Florida Institute for Food and Agricultural Science.
“What a pain. It gets into my motor and if I’m not careful, I could overheat and burn up my motor,” said Capt. Kim Ibasfalean, of Capt. Kim’s Charters in Bradenton Beach, where the algae clogged canals last week.
It’s also a health threat. Lyngbya can emit cyanotoxins that can cause people hay fever-like symptoms, skin rashes, respiratory and gastrointestinal distress, and, if consumed, liver and kidney damage, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Some worry that the widespread bloom of lyngbya, a type of blue-green algae that appears brown, could be related to the April release of 215 million gallons of polluted water into Tampa Bay at Port Manatee from one of the closed Piney Point phosphate plant’s retention ponds. The emergency release prevented even more wastewater from being spilled from a pond built on top of a gypsum stack that had begun to crumble. The water contained the nutrients phosphorus and nitrogen. Lyngbya feeds on those nutrients.
Nutrients going into the water from various sources “are definitely the reason we have it,” Webb said.
Since the discharge, fewer dolphins are using the waters near Port Manatee and are congregating more than two miles away from the discharge site, according to the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program at Mote Marine. The program has been monitoring the dolphin community near Port Manatee for impacts from the discharge.
“In the dolphin business, we take people out every day to see these dolphins,” Webb said. “If all this seagrass goes away, what happens then is these dolphins that have been here for years and years and tens of hundreds of years are gonna move on to find better places to feed. We’re so fortunate to have what we do here but this grass is going to die.”
Ben Webb, of AMI Dolphin Tours, organized a cleanup today of mats of lyngbya algae at a Holmes Beach marina that was blocking tour and fishing boats. – Rusty Chinnis | Sun
Scientists taking water samples to monitor the effects of the Piney Point discharge said today that there is no known connection between the nutrients in the release and any algae blooms.
Red tide is the more pressing threat, particularly in late summer and early fall, according to oceanographer Dr. Robert Weisberg, with the University of South Florida College of Marine Science in St. Petersburg.
“It’s a little too early now to prognosticate about what’s going to happen then,” he said.
Meanwhile, water monitoring continues.
No cyanotoxins – the neurotoxins that are produced by blue-green algae – were detected in the water samples taken in Tampa Bay on May 18, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Results taken from samples on May 20 are pending.
Large-scale removal of lyngbya is difficult, partly because of the potential for damage to seagrass and mangroves in some areas, and partly due to the volume of the algae and its mobility due to winds and tides, according to Damon Moore, with the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department. The department is tracking a lyngbya bloom at Robinson Preserve in west Bradenton.
“It is not feasible to remove the extraordinary biomass of lyngbya during these bloom events on a bay-wide scale,” he wrote to county commissioners earlier this month.
“It is highly probable that even if extensive resources were expended on physical removal of algae mats… that would not be enough to prevent negative consequences like putrid smell and fish kills because most of the material cannot realistically be removed from the water,” he wrote. “The scale at which removal would have to occur in such a large and open system is not likely feasible and is cost-prohibitive. Focus should be placed on blocking floating mats entering areas where that is feasible and cleaning it from heavily used areas (i.e. beaches) where mechanical removal is feasible without causing additional natural resource damages.”
Captain Webb issued a dire assessment.
“Everything in this water is dying,” Webb said, following his day of cleaning algae-choked canals. “And we just can’t have that here. It’s just time for the business owners to step up and say this has to stop.”
To commemorate the life of Bill Robinson, the Robinson family organized a candlelight walk at Robinson Preserve on Monday evening. Robinson was the owner of Robby’s Sporting Goods, co-founder of Fit2Run and founder of Robinson Preserve.
Family and friends of Bill Robinson gathered at the Valentine House at Robinson Preserve on Monday evening. - Cindy Lane | Sun
A view from the tower at Robinson Preserve Monday evening. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Friends and family of Bill Robinson held candles as they walked through Robinson Preserve Monday evening. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Sunset at Robinson Preserve with Bean Point on the horizon. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Family and friends of Bill Robinson climbed the tower at sunset. - Cindy Lane | Sun
BRADENTON – As duck hunters prepare for the opening of season on Nov. 23, they say they want to assure residents surrounding Perico, Neal and Robinson Preserves that they are not at risk.
Last season, and during this year’s early nine-day season in September, preserve neighbors complained to Manatee County commissioners about safety concerns after hearing gunshots at dawn and dusk.
“It ruffles my feathers,” said Polk County resident Travis Thompson, a waterfowl guide, charter fishing captain, host of a podcast and an occasional hunter at Perico Preserve.
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“I’m not going to shoot across their house, but I didn’t ask them to build their house there, either,” he said, pointing to increasing development as the problem at the root of what some call incompatible land uses.
“The contention we’re feeling is the development encroaching on wild places,” he said.
Coastal areas, including the perimeters of county preserves bordered by residential developments, attract ducks and duck hunters. But hunters who follow the rules are not placing residents at risk, Thompson said.
“There is some concern about a stray bullet hurting someone. I understand someone being scared when they hear gunfire. But waterfowl hunters are bound by law to steel shot, which loses its efficacy at 60 yards,” unlike a bullet from a rifle, he said. “On a migratory species, you are constrained to only having three shells in your gun.”
If hunters are not following the rules or are shooting over their homes, people should report them to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) or local law enforcement, he said.
“I understand that people who live near the water do not like to be woken by gunshots,” Tampa duck hunter Peter Arcuri agreed. “The thing is though, that even though they live close to the water, they do not own the water. The general public owns the water. Duck hunters are free to duck hunt on public water just as much as fishers are allowed to fish, jet skiers are allowed to jet ski, and so on and so forth. People have been duck hunting in these waters for years; long before houses and apartments were ever there. Someone could say, ‘Why can’t you just go someplace more secluded? Why do you have to hunt right next to a neighborhood?’ Trust me, all hunters would love to hunt someplace more secluded, but those places are getting more and more hard to come by in Florida. 1,000 people move to Florida a day and developers are doing all they can to develop every square inch of our state. People that move here and live on the water need to understand that duck hunting, as long as it’s done in a safe and legal manner, is something that will continue to take place on public water.”
Hunters also contribute to the survival of native duck species, Thompson said.
“Hunters love ducks more than anybody,” he said, adding that they must purchase state and federal stamps to hunt, which fund wildlife management efforts.
And hunters target feral mallard ducks in preserve areas, a non-native species that otherwise could take over the native mottled duck population, he said.
“A lot of hunters are in tune with the environment, and through their fees they pay for environmental work,” agreed Ann Paul, a biologist with Audubon’s Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries.
“We live in a much more highly, densely developed area than we ever have before, and I think local leaders need to take this up to make sure that people are safe while providing opportunities for hunters,” she said. “We need to find the right balance for today’s world.”
Thompson suggests that all who share coastal areas avoid “demonizing” each other.
“One-sixth of the year you might hear a gunshot at sunset,” he said. “Look at the grand scheme of things. That hunter’s family may have been hunting there for 50 years.”
The next duck season is Nov. 23 through Dec. 1, followed by Dec. 7 through Jan. 26, according to the FWC.
PERICO ISLAND – The early duck hunting season – nine days that ended Sept. 29 – revived concerns about the safety and peace of mind of residents in densely-populated Perico Island developments.
“One day, I noticed gunshots by Perico Apartments and Perico Bay Club to my west,” Perico Island resident Tom Hughes said. “There’s not a heck of a lot of space between my building and the water,” where hunters often are concealed.
“It makes me a little nervous,” he said.
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When Hughes lived in the Adirondacks, people sometimes were killed in hunting accidents, he recalled, adding that a friend’s dog was shot and killed by a bear hunter.
“I never hike during hunting season,” he said. “It’s perilous.”
Hiking is the main draw at Perico Preserve on Perico Bayou, Neal Preserve on the Intracoastal Waterway and Robinson Preserve on the Manatee River and Palma Sola Bay.
Nearby residents, including Hughes, complained last year to Manatee County commissioners that shotgun blasts at the preserves wake them at dawn, disturb their sunsets and upset people who have seen dead ducks fall from the sky.
The county’s environmental officials who oversee the preserves have no law enforcement powers to regulate hunting, according to Charlie Hunsicker, director of the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and Bradenton Police Department officers have told Hunsicker’s staff and The Sun that they can do nothing to stop legal hunting at the preserves, even at Perico Preserve, designed to attract bird nesting.
Hunsicker suggests that hunters use Duette Preserve, a preserve that allows hunting in less-populated east Manatee County. Hunters say ducks don’t frequent Duette, preferring Perico, Neal and Robinson preserves, which are bordered by water.
“As they continue to develop this little area, out of necessity, if you’re going to be hunting, you’re going to be hunting closer and closer to human habitations,” Hughes said. “In the not-too-distant future, it’s going to be problematic.”
The next open duck season is Nov. 23 through Dec. 1, followed by Dec. 7 through Jan. 26, according to the FWC.
PERICO BAYOU – A film crew followed about 75 volunteers on the last day of National Estuaries Week Saturday as they worked in Perico Bayou, laying oyster shells collected by local restaurants for recycling.
The scenes are slated for a documentary, “Unfiltered: The Truth about Oysters,” which will spotlight the history of oysters from Chesapeake Bay to Apalachicola Bay, including farming efforts, research studies at Florida A&M University, Florida State University and the University of Florida, and the local Gulf Coast Oyster Recycle and Restoration Project.
Oyster shells from local Chiles Group restaurants are now in Perico Bayou, forming new oyster beds. – Manatee County | Submitted
The project, a partnership between START (Solutions To Avoid Red Tide), the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department and the Chiles Group restaurants, recycles oyster shells collected from restaurants, sun-cures them at Perico Preserve and “plants” them, creating new oyster habitats at Perico and Robinson Preserves.
The project is designed to clean area waters, decreasing nutrients that feed red tide and blue-green algae.
Oysters siphon water through their bodies to obtain food, cleaning the water by removing excess nutrients. With each oyster filtering up to 50 gallons of water per day, every acre of restored oyster reef filters nearly 40 million gallons of water each day, according to the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department.
“More oysters mean cleaner water, and cleaner water promotes more oysters,” Education Division Manager Aedan Stockdale said. “These oysters will provide food and habitat for fish, which will, in turn, attract a diversity of birds and other animals as well as provide recreational and commercial opportunities for people.”
Oysters are increasingly threatened, according to film producer Chucha Barber.
From left, Chucha Barber, Josh McLawhorn and Hope Childree are working on a film about oysters that will feature the Gulf Coast Oyster Recycle and Restoration Project in Manatee County. – Cindy Lane | Sun
“Oyster cultivation dates back hundreds of years,” she said. “The most consumed live animal in the world is now experiencing global decimation. When harvested, both the animals and the habitat (the shells) are removed from nature.”
Barber hopes the film will spread the oyster recycling idea nationwide.
“There isn’t anything like this in Apalachicola,” she said.
BRADENTON – Blue-green algae persists in Robinson and Perico Preserves, and has caused its first fish kill.
“Blue-green algae and brown algae have become pervasive in the Lower Manatee River, Perico Bayou and Perico Preserve, resulting in a modest fish kill, primarily mullet, as a result of heavy algae bloom concentrations,” according to the latest report from the Manatee County Environmental Protection Department.
Manatee County crews skimmed and contained floating blue-green algae mats near Robinson Preserve’s waterway connection to the Manatee River and directed it back into the river on an outgoing tide, according to a recent email update to county commissioners from Charlie Hunsicker, director of the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources department.
From left, Will Robinson, for whose family Robinson Preserve is named, Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore and Congressional Rep. Vern Buchanan were among several officials at Robinson Preserve on Monday to see the algae bloom up close. Carol Whitmore | Submitted
“A floating turbidity boom, normally set in place to protect surface waters from turbidity and sedimentation, was deployed under the footbridge at that tidal connection to keep additional floating algae mats from coming back into the preserve on the incoming tides. This will not prevent all algae mats from entering the preserves from other Manatee River or Perico Bayou connection points, however, this will reduce the algae coverage in what the media has photographed to be the worst places where algae build-up has occurred,” according to Hunsicker.
“These efforts will have a positive effect on reducing the build-up of additional algae in the preserve and reduce, but not prevent, the accumulation of additional marine detritus which will continue to degrade at the bottom of many of Robinson’s internal waterways linked by tides to the outside bays and Manatee River,” according to Hunsicker.
Non-toxic algae blooms were detected in 18 water samples along the Manatee River in June, according to a Friday, June 28 Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) report.
Parts of the river, and Robinson Preserve, which borders it to the south, are “experiencing a large bloom of the cyanobacteria species Aphanizomenon flos-aquae,” which so far has tested non-toxic, according to the report. No samples were taken off Anna Maria Island this week.
Red tide did not show up in any water samples in Manatee County last week, according to the Friday, June 28 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) report.
Filamentous cyanobacteria (Lyngbya-like) was first detected in Holmes Beach waters on Thursday, May 9 in Anna Maria Sound at Key Royale and in the Intracoastal Waterway south of Grassy Point, and in Palma Sola Bay near San Remo Shores.
The algae found in Manatee County waters are not the same species that has plagued Lake Okeechobee, the toxic Microcystis aeruginosa, according to DEP.
Blue-green algae can be blue, green, brown or red and emit a foul, rotten egg odor caused by the production of hydrogen sulfide gas, according to DEP, which advises staying out of water where algae are visible as specks, mats or water is discolored pea-green, blue-green or brownish-red. Additionally, pets or livestock should not come into contact with the algal bloom-impacted water, or the algal bloom material or fish on the shoreline.
Even non-toxic blooms can harm the environment by depleting oxygen levels in the water column and reducing the amount of light that reaches submerged plants, according to DEP.
The growth of blue-green algae typically increases in the spring and summer months when water temperatures and daylight hours increase.
To help keep algae growth at bay, Florida law bans the use of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers during the rainy season, June 1 through Sept. 30.
Report algae blooms to DEP at 855-305-3903. Report fish kills to FWC at 800-636-0511.
BRADENTON – Non-toxic blue-green algae is present at Robinson Preserve, according to today’s report from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Filamentous cyanobacteria (Lyngbya-like) was found on Monday, June 10, according to the report.
Non-toxic blue-green algae is present at Robinson Preserve, according to DEP. – Florida Department of Environmental Protection | Submitted
The same type of blue-green algae was first found locally in Holmes Beach waters on Thursday, May 9 in Anna Maria Sound at Key Royale and in the Intracoastal Waterway south of Grassy Point, and in Palma Sola Bay near San Remo Shores.
No toxins have been detected in any of the blue-green algae samples collected in Manatee County through Friday, June 14, according to DEP.
The two algae species found in Manatee County waters are not the same species that has plagued Lake Okeechobee, microcystis aeruginosa, according to DEP.
Of eight sites tested statewide from June 7-13 by DEP, one – in Hillsborough County – was positive for toxins.
Blue-green algae can be blue, green, brown or red and emit a foul, rotten egg odor caused by the production of hydrogen sulfide gas, according to DEP, which advises staying out of water where algae is visible as specks, mats or water is discolored pea-green, blue-green or brownish-red. Additionally, pets or livestock should not come into contact with the algal bloom-impacted water, or the algal bloom material or fish on the shoreline.
Even non-toxic blooms can harm the environment by depleting oxygen levels in the water column and reducing the amount of light that reaches submerged plants, according to DEP.
The growth of blue-green algae typically increases in the spring and summer months when water temperatures and daylight hours increase.
Red tide report
No significant red tide is forecast in Manatee County waters through Monday, June 17, according to today’s Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) report.
Background concentrations of red tide were found in water samples off Mead Point at Robinson Preserve in Bradenton on Tuesday, June 11, according to the report.
Background concentrations of the algae that causes Florida red tide, Karenia brevis, have no discernable effects on people or marine life, according to the FWC. However, in very low concentrations and above, red tide cells emit a neurotoxin when they bloom that can cause shellfish closures and respiratory irritation in people, especially those with asthma, COPD or emphysema. In low concentrations and above, red tide can be deadly to marine life.
No fish kills were reported this week.
Scientists say that salinity, currents, temperature and light play a part in the formation of red tide blooms, as do nutrients from Florida’s natural phosphate and limestone deposits, Caribbean seawater brought to Florida’s west coast on the Loop Current, the Mississippi River, Saharan dust blown across the Atlantic Ocean to Florida’s waters, and fertilizer and animal waste runoff.
To help keep algae growth at bay, Florida law bans the use of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers during the rainy season, June 1 through Sept. 30.
Report algae blooms to DEP at 855-305-3903 or online. Report fish kills to FWC at 800-636-0511.
On Tuesday, Feb. 26, the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), in conjunction with Duke Energy and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, released adult and juvenile redfish at Robinson Preserve in Manatee County. The redfish were donated by Duke Power and raised at its Mariculture Center in Crystal River, Fla. There are a number of releases scheduled in southwest Florida, which will include about 2,000 juvenile fish and 25 to 30 adult redfish per county, all of which will come from the Duke Energy Mariculture Center. In February, the group also released redfish in Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Sarasota counties.
Additional tentative release dates and locations include Lee County, March 12 at 11 a.m.; Tropical Point Park, 3401 Tropical Point Drive, St. James City, Fla.; Collier County, March 15 at 11 a.m.; Shell Island Boat Launch, 10 Shell Island Road, Naples, Fla.; Charlotte County, March 19 at 11 a.m.; and Ponce De Leon Park, 3400 Ponce de Leon Parkway, Punta Gorda, Fla.
Brian Gorski, CCA Florida executive director, weighed in on the effort. “We’re extremely excited to release these fish now that the waters are determined to be safe,” he said. “Between these releases, encouraging anglers to catch-and-release and promoting conservation, we’re going to see this fishery improve and we’re honored to be a part of it.”
Catherine Stempien, Duke Energy Florida president, stated that “Duke Energy is committed to helping protect and preserve Florida’s natural environment.” She added, “Our Mariculture Center advances environmental stewardship throughout the state by partnering with state and local agencies and universities on restoration projects. The redfish we are donating will have long-term positive environmental impacts in the affected areas and we’re proud to play a small part in the solution to the recent red tide occurrence.”
Eric Sutton, FWC executive director, also was proud to be a partner. “We are thankful for the leadership and efforts of CCA and Duke Energy on making this redfish enhancement possible,” he said. “The efforts to help struggling fisheries in the aftermath of such an intense and devastating red tide is welcome, and anglers should do their part by adhering to the closure and respecting size and bag limits. They can go further by handling their catches responsibly and practicing catch and release after the closure is lifted. All the partners in the effort are to be commended for not only adding to depleted fish stocks but also raising awareness.”
The CCA has come a long way since it came into Florida as the FCA in the early 80s. In 1985, I joined a few local residents, including Captain Scott Moore, Captain Jim O’Neil, Pete Turner, Jim Knowles and Cindy McCartney, and met with Gulf Coast Conservation Association organizer Bruce Cartwright. That meeting of six concerned citizens led to the formation of the Manatee Chapter of the then-FCA. I attended the Manatee CCA Banquet last Thursday night at the Manatee County Convention Center, where more than 1,000 members and guests showed their support for fisheries conservation.
The exponential growth of an organization concerned with the health of our waters and fishery is a reason for optimism but points to a larger issue that can’t get lost in the media buzz of hatchery releases. If we truly want a healthy habitat and robust fishery we have to address the root of the problem. While it is often mentioned that the red tide is a natural occurrence, what you don’t hear is that the occurrence and severity of red tide are 15 times greater than it was 50 years ago. More often the natural occurrence storyline is parroted by groups, corporations and state agencies responsible for the increase of nutrients and lack of enforcement of common sense laws that help feed the red tide.
The most recent red tide event may have hopefully awakened citizens and lawmakers to the severity of the issue. A new state administration taking action is encouraging. While significant funds are becoming available to address the problem, as long as the emphasis is on mitigating and killing red tide instead of addressing point (sewage spills) and nonpoint (agricultural runoff) source pollution we’ll miss an important opportunity to begin taking effective action towards a lasting solution.
BRADENTON – More than 2,000 juvenile redfish and 31 hefty adults were released this morning in the waters of Robinson Preserve to restock the fishery, decimated by six months of red tide.
Local waters have been mostly free of the toxic algae for more than a month, making this a good time to maximize the survival of the gamefish, according to officials at the Crystal River Mariculture Center at Duke Energy, where the fish were raised.
The large, satellite-tagged fish were released one at a time, carried in bags by different participants in the project from the holding tanks to the center’s Rhett Gehring, who guided them gently into the water. Medium-sized fish were transported by hand in small tubes and released.
Juvenile fish had quite a different journey, pushed through a black pipe from the holding tanks to the water. They swim against the “current” inside the pipe during the transit so they are not banging against each other, Gehring said.
One last straggler in the holding tank was carried by hand to the water at the Robinson Preserve kayak launch.
A few dozen people watched the release at Robinson Preserve, a Manatee County park. Robinson’s waters are a healthy ecosystem with sheltered waters that are an excellent choice for the juvenile fish to mature, according to Melissa Nell, division manager of programming and education for the county Parks and Recreation Department.
More than 8,000 juvenile and adult redfish donated by the center already have been released in cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Coastal Conservation Association Florida in Sarasota, Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties. More releases are planned in Charlotte, Lee and Charlotte counties in March.
Duke Energy officials hope anglers will practice catch-and-release of the redfish, a popular gamefish.
“Duke Energy is committed to environmental stewardship,” Eric Latimer, Duke Energy Florida Mariculture Center manager, said in a press release. “Fish mortalities associated with the current red tide bloom in southwest Florida have broad impacts, both to our state’s interconnected biological systems and to the people that make a living from and enjoy our natural resources. We are proud to play a small part in the solution by restocking fish that will contribute to the overall restoration of the affected areas.”
“We’re all aware of the devastation the red tide has caused our fisheries and we’re thrilled to partner with Duke Energy for this amazing redfish stock enhancement initiative,” said Brian Gorski, CCA Florida executive director.
“We appreciate the valuable support from CCA Florida and Duke Energy in helping enhance our world-class redfish fishery,” Eric Sutton, FWC executive director, said in a press release. “This team effort will benefit conservation, outdoor recreation and the state’s economy in many ways.”
The FWC’s latest report shows background traces of red tide – a normal occurrence – statewide, but no discernable effects on people or marine life are predicted.
The bloom began in Southwest Florida waters in October 2017, reaching local waters in August 2018.
Rhett Gehring of the Crystal River Mariculture Center at Duke Energy releases redfish at Robinson Preserve to restock the fishery after red tide. – Cindy Lane | Sun
One last straggler is carried by hand to the water during the redfish release. - Cindy Lane | Sun
PERICO ISLAND – Manatee County officials are considering establishing a “no motorboating” zone in Perico Bayou to address complaints from neighboring residents about duck hunting near Perico Preserve.
The move would further protect seagrasses from prop scarring while discouraging duck hunters from taking motorized boats into the bayou, Charlie Hunsicker, director of the county’s Parks and Natural Resources Department, told county commissioners on Jan. 29.
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Residents bordering Perico Preserve on Perico Bayou and Neal Preserve on the Intracoastal Waterway are among those who have recently complained to commissioners that shotgun blasts wake them at dawn, upset people who have seen dead ducks fall from the sky and disturb their quiet enjoyment of sunsets.
At Perico Preserve, built to attract birds, the boardwalks end at the bayou where hunters are hunting, Hunsicker said, placing hunters and preserve visitors too close to each other.
“It’s important for local governments to set limits,” he told commissioners.
“Any person who recreationally discharges a firearm outdoors, including target shooting, in an area that the person knows or reasonably should know is primarily residential in nature and that has a residential density of one or more dwelling units per acre, commits a misdemeanor of the first degree.” – Florida Statute §790.15 (4)
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) allows hunters in or on state waters to shoot ducks on the wing in season with the appropriate equipment and training.
Although the FWC has the sole authority to regulate the state’s wildlife, Florida law allows local governments to regulate boating activity on navigable waterways subject to FWC approval, Manatee County Attorney Mitchell Palmer told commissioners, citing a Jan. 18 memo by Assistant County Attorney Anne Morris.
Restricting motorized vessels would still allow johnboats, kayaks, canoes and rowboats in Perico Bayou, Hunsicker said, adding that the plan requires a public hearing.
Beyond preserves
The hunting issue is not restricted to west Bradenton’s preserves.
The bird life in Doug Richards’ neighborhood near Wild Oak Bay on Sarasota Bay “is almost like the Serengeti,” he told commissioners.
“It’s just a beautiful, beautiful scene” until duck hunters appear, he said.
“We need a more appropriate way to balance the interests,” like limiting hunting to within a “respectable” distance of homes, he suggested.
No hunters addressed commissioners at the meeting.
“We share the residents’ concerns,” Hunsicker said. “Unfortunately, our solutions available to us at Perico are not necessarily available to the Sarasota Bay shore.”
The City of Bradenton has an ordinance in effect prohibiting the discharge of firearms in the city limits, which gives some protection to city residents, he said.
It is a misdemeanor under Florida Statute §790.15 to discharge a firearm in the vicinity of or over residentially zoned property, defined as one dwelling per acre or more, Palmer said, adding that residents should report the activity to law enforcement.
“There is no hunting allowed in Florida state parks,” Hunsicker said, suggesting that the county preserves of Perico, Neal and Robinson “should be treated in the same fashion.”
Duck hunting season ended on Jan. 27; hunting season for wood ducks resumes on Sept. 22.
