Saving the bay, one scallop at a time

When the microscopic baby scallops begin to develop the ability to attach, it is time to release them. At mid-day Friday, Dec. 9, what looked like six buckets with specks of dirt floating throughout were, in actuality, 4 million scallops that were released in Sarasota Bay by Sarasota Bay Watch.

“God speed, little scallops,” Andy Mele said as he poured them into the bay near Sister Keys.

The scallops have about a 1% chance of survival, but the group doesn’t know the exact number, because the project hasn’t been done before. The group plans to return and check on the GPS coordinates where the scallops were released. The funding for the project was provided from Sarasota Yacht Club, and Cannons Marina provided the boats.

Sarasota Bay Watch was founded in 2007, by a group of volunteers, with the goal of making an environmental impact in the area. This past year, SBW has partnered with Longboat Key to “Adopt the Sister Keys”; has conducted the third annual Sister Keys cleanup; made its legacy program the bay scallop restoration; held the fourth annual Scallop Search; partnered with Sarasota Sailing Squadron for six educational displays on City Island; conducted the third annual Monofilament Cleanup; initated the creation of “What the Heck is That? A Field Guide to the Treasures of the Gulf Coast”; partnered with Sarastoa Yacht Club; raised $14,000 for scallop restoration; began restoration efforts with the recent baby scallop release; and more.

Looking ahead, Sarasota Bay Watch is developing a strategic plan, which includes an enhanced website, e-commerce, program funding, data management system, administrative help and taking their programs to a new level. And, of course, SBW will maintain its constant goal of monitoring Sarasota Bay and the role it plays in the economy and quality of life. Visit www.sarasotabaywatch.org for information.