Building a Better Tampa Bay | News

St. Petersburg, Florida -- Florida is known for its sunshine, beaches and boating.  And ohhh, those popular waterways!

But keeping those waterways clean and clear and stopping beach erosion require much more than Florida sunshine.

In comes Tampa Bay Watch and its many volunteers. 

The group and its volunteers build oyster domes and deliver them to the water of Tampa Bay "to minimize shoreline erosion and provide surface area for oysters to attach." 

According to the folks at Tampa Bay Watch, "Additionally, by being placed along seawalls and shorelines, the domes restore hard bottom habitat and improve water quality."

The group's website details the construction process:

• First, we pour marine friendly concrete into a fiberglass mold containing a large round buoy surrounded by smaller rubber balls, creating the holes in the oyster domes.
• Microsilica is mixed with the concrete to balance the pH so oysters are attracted to the domes. 
• We aim to recruit fifteen hard working volunteers for each session.

If you are interested in helping build the domes, you must be 16 and the project is conducted at the Marine Center, 3000 Pinellas Bayway South, Tierra Verde from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. 

For more information on volunteer opportunities, click here.