Seagrass Planting Project to Feed Manatees Near Tampa Electric Power Station

Seagrass Restoration for Manatees

• 💡 Seagrass beds are crucial for manatees, providing essential food resources and supporting ecosystem services like water filtration.
• 🎯 Historically, the area around Tampa Electric's Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach was bare sand, unsuitable for seagrass growth due to its previous coal-burning operations.

Project Rationale and Goals

• 🚀 With the power station's shift to natural gas, the opportunity arose to initiate a seagrass restoration project.
• 💰 The goal is to establish 5 acres of seagrass to create a new winter food source for the hundreds of manatees that gather in the warm waters.

Planting Process and Species

• 🔬 Aquatech Eco Consultants are leading the effort, experimenting with different seagrass species, including turtle grass and shell grass.
• 🛠️ The team uses high-accuracy GPS to pinpoint planting locations, with each acre taking about 5 hours for a team of five to plant approximately 4,800 sprouts.
• 🌱 Planting involves wading in waist-deep water or using weighted belts and snorkel gear in deeper areas.

Future Outlook

• 📈 The project is in a trial-and-error phase, aiming to identify the most successful seagrass species and planting methods.
• ✅ The hope is that by the time manatees arrive for the winter, new seagrass shoots will be emerging, providing a vital food resource.
• 📅 The Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach is scheduled to open on November 1st.