Man On Boat Handing Mesh Bags For Juvenile Clams To Snorkeler In Tampa Bay

Sarasota Bay Watch Begins Clam Restoration

Snorkelers Placing Juvenile Clams In Tampa Bay For Future Use In Clam Restoration Efforts

On Friday the 24th of February, Sarasota Bay Watch and partners Bay Shellfish Company and Two Docks, (a commercial clam farmer), began a new clam restoration effort. Over 300,000 juvenile clams were placed in protective mesh bags on submerged lands in Tampa Bay. When they reach an adult stage volunteers will release them into Sarasota Bay. The resilient (Southern Hard) clams can filter up to fifty gallons of water per day per clam over their thirty-year lifespan. The clams are resistant to red tide which they feed on it. SBW is excited by the prospect of the clams improving our bays and increasing water clarity, which will in turn support healthier and more abundant sea grass.