Scallop Search weathers storm

The clouds were dark, but no rain was falling as participants of the Great Scallop Search of 2017 ventured out on Sarasota Bay.

But then a clap of thunder rumbled over heard. It started to drizzle.

A few minutes later the rain picked up, but the participants persisted.

They were on a mission.

The scallop search, a no harvest event, took place on Aug. 26 at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron.

Despite the thunderstorm, participants continued their search for scallops. Some participants even offered to keep equipment and return it to the Sarasota Bay Watch at a later date so they could search when the weather was more accommodating.

“They’re troopers,” Sarasota Bay Watch President Larry Stults said of the participants. “They’re staying out.”

In its 10 years of existence, the Scallop Search has never faced rain or thunder. Stults said the clouds and rain would decrease the amount of lighting getting to the sea grass where participants were searching for scallops. But he was still hopeful.

“Despite the challenging weather, they can still do a fine search,” he said.

And search they did. Although only half of the 130 people who signed up showed up, the citizen scientists found two live scallops and about a dozen recently-live adult scallop shells, which shows that a small number of scallops survived recent bouts of red tide. 

Those that did search were rewarded with not only lunch but an education too.

Steve Geiger, a research scientist at the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, said events like this are important because it’s different than reading material on scallops or the bay watch handing out pamphlets. Events like the Scallop Search get people in the water and allows them to touch seagrass or seashells.

“You literally have to immerse yourself in the environment,” Geiger said.