Management activities at Tampa Bay Aquatic Preserves have been discontinued as of July 1, 2011.

Although the aquatic preserves will remain designated, all coastal education and resource monitoring programs at closed locations have been eliminated. The Tampa Bay Aquatic Preserves office serves four aquatic preserves: Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve, Boca Ciega Bay Aquatic Preserve, Pinellas County Aquatic Preserve and Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve. These areas are no longer actively managed and the resource management, research and monitoring, and outreach and education programs at these aquatic preserves has ended. Permit review by DEP regulatory offices will still be active through the Southwest District office.

Although seven aquatic preserve offices remain open, it is not possible for the remaining staff to absorb the closed programs into the organizational structure. 

The following page describes former management programs which will be restarted should revenue streams improve.

• Resource Management

  The resource management program partnered with other groups such as the Southwest Florida Water Management to reclaim nearby agricultural lands and shell quarries, as well as removing invasive exotic plants and plant native plants.

• Education and Outreach

  The staff promoted public awareness of local environmental resources and issues through displays at festivals, boat shows and other events.

• Research and Monitoring

  The aquatic preserve's proximity to major urban centers and several universities as well as research institutes allows the opportunity for many partnerships, filling in the gaps of information needed for sound resource management. When a research need is not being met, staff encouraged existing research programs to address the need or implement their own project to gather the information.