Calling all snorkelers, waders, kayakers, boaters, and paddle boarders! The Sarasota County Seagrass Survey is taking place on April 25th from 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM at Ken Thompson Park and need SEA Team volunteers to assist in collecting data for the County’s Seagrass Monitoring Program.
The Sarasota County Seagrass Survey is a citizen science event that commends Sarasota County’s commitment to its water resources and bringing awareness of the environmental and economic value of seagrass habitat. Volunteers and staff will cruise around the waters in Sarasota Bay to count and pinpoint seagrass species. This will be a family-friendly, fun, hands-on event that will include on-site training for Volunteers, with a free volunteer appreciation luncheon to end the day.
This years theme is: Seagrass: The Lawn that Doesn’t Need Fertilizer! The survey will focus on how stormwater runoff and pollution affects seagrass species. Lingering fertilizer used on lawns can wash into our bays and waterbodies as stormwater runoff. This surplus of nutrients, such as Nitrogen and Phosphorus, can generate algae blooms. Algae can latch to seagrass blades formulating clumps, blocking necessary sunlight from reaching seagrasses.
Register to Volunteer: https://seagrasssurvey.eventbrite.com or for more information, contact the event coordinator: 941-650-1089 or amelton@scgov.net