Pinellas County is the active manager of Boca Ciega Bay Aquatic Preserve and Pinellas County Aquatic Preserve through the Pinellas County Water and Navigation Control Authority. Aquatic preserve staff have been actively involved in management activities in Pinellas County and provided scientific expertise and other assistance as needed.

• Resource Management

  The resource management program focused on the restoration of spoil islands with the help of volunteers. Much of the natural shoreline in Pinellas County has been lost to urban activities. Spoil islands offer a way to get some of that back as well as provide additional recreational opportunities. Since they start as disturbed communities, spoil islands often become overrun with exotic invasive plants. The primary management activities on these islands is the removal of those invasives and planting 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. Posting informational signs and kiosks is another way to reach the enormous, widespread and diverse user groups of the Pinellas County aquatic preserves.

• Research and Monitoring

  The aquatic preserves' 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.