Waterkeeper monitoring expands to south Sarasota County

With financial support provided by the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, Suncoast Waterkeeper has expanded its weekly water quality monitoring program into the southern region of Sarasota County.

For years, Suncoast Waterkeeper has provided testing for fecal indicator bacteria at recreational sites across Manatee and Sarasota counties. In 2023, the organization hired its first full-time water quality specialist and opened a dedicated lab to support that work. The program has grown again this summer with the addition of a second full-time specialist, Peyton Faulk, to lead the expansion into Venice, Osprey, Nokomis, Englewood and North Port. 

“When people head to the bay to swim, fish or paddle they deserve to know whether it’s safe,” said Suncoast Waterkeeper Executive Director and Waterkeeper Abbey Tyrna in a news release. “This data empowers both the community and decision-makers to protect public health and create solutions for improving water quality.”

Faulk, who joined the organization in June, earned a masters in marine biology from Texas A&M University at Galveston and has been engaged in environmental work since high school.

“The weekly fecal indicator bacteria sampling program has proven to be informative and is the trusted and go-to resource for community members,” said Faulk in the news release. “We hope that through the extension of this project to the southern region of Sarasota County we will reach more people and make connections with local environmental groups." 

Weekly test results for both northern and southern regions are posted on Suncoast Waterkeeper’s website and shared on Facebook and Instagram. Results follow the same three-tiered system used by the Florida Department of Health and are also shared with local and state agencies weekly.

For more information about the water quality program and to check weekly results, visit SuncoastWaterkeeper.org.