Did you know that you could get a Bay Mini-Grant to:

• Paint a mural with an environmental theme?
• Make a film about an issue in our watershed?
• Conduct research in your neighborhood creek?
• Create educational materials for residents and visitors?
• Fund your own unique and engaging project?

Bay Mini-Grants fund a wide variety of projects, from art and education to research and restoration. Not sure if your idea is a good fit? Reach out to Jessica Lewis (jlewis@tbep.org) for feedback and suggestions to strengthen your application.

Projects must benefit the Tampa Bay watershed and support one of the many goals or activities described in the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Tampa Bay. Businesses, nonprofits, schools, neighborhood associations, and many other organizations are eligible to apply for this grant.

Turn that idea into action! Check out the details on TBEP’s website and register for the August 1st informational webinar.

Apply by September 13, 2024!

Great Bay Scallop Search

Grab your snorkel and mask and join TBEP and Tampa Bay Watch for the 29th annual Great Bay Scallop Search! We need snorkelers, boaters, and kayakers to help us count scallops in Tampa Bay. To get a more complete picture of the local scallop population, we have expanded this event to three locations: Fort De Soto, Grandview Park, and Emerson Point Preserve.

Bay scallops are a key indicator of bay health because of their need for clear, salty water and seagrass habitats. Having a sustainable scallop population in Tampa Bay is one of our Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan goals. That's where the Great Bay Scallop Search comes in! To help us track our progress in achieving a sustainable scallop population, volunteer scientists will hit the water to count bay scallops. Come out for this fun volunteer event and be part of that research. Volunteers will get a free lunch and Scallop Search t-shirt!

Interested in seeing how scallops have been doing so far? Check out the Scallop Search Dashboard for data from past years.

Registration and more information

Bioluminescence Paddle

For paddlers, gliding through glowing waters under a moonlit sky might seem like a magical experience. But for resource managers, it is a sign of something more ominous. The harmful algae Pyrodinium bahamense that creates the bioluminescence in Old Tampa Bay also blocks light from reaching the seagrass below.

During the summer months when Pyrodinium typically blooms, we organize bioluminescence kayak tours to raise awareness of this harmful algae and the challenges it poses for maintaining healthy seagrass meadows. Although this year’s tour was a “no-glow” – Pyrodinium has not been observed at bloom levels in Old Tampa Bay this year –  we still had a great sunset kayak where we saw sharks, playful dolphins, and even a turtle! Special thanks to ECOmersion and Tampa Bay Waterkeeper for their partnership on this event.

Pyrodinium can also produce saxitoxins which make people sick. Observations of this harmful algae in St. Joseph Sound and the Gulf of Mexico led officials to pause this year’s scallop season in Pasco.

Bay Mini-Grant Webinar and Q&A | Aug 1

Join TBEP staff for a webinar on Bay Mini-Grant applications, including tips for submitting a strong application.

World Oyster Day | August 5

Celebrate World Oyster Day with Tampa Bay Watch and get a free vertical oyster garden from 9am - noon at Tampa Bay Watch HQ or the TBW Discovery Center!

Mirror Lake Cleanup | August 10

Help keep your city beautiful with a cleanup event at Mirror Lake in St. Petersburg.

Native Planting at Maximo Park | August 16

Tampa Bay Watch is recruiting 50 volunteers to transplant native plants along the Maximo Park living shoreline to help with erosion and provide beneficial habitat.

Inter-Tidally United Summit Watch Party | August 16

Weedon Island will host an in-person watch party hosted by the Florida Public Archaeology Network.

Campbell Park Neighborhood Cleanup | August 17

Join Keep Pinellas Beautiful and Campbell Park Neighborhood Association for a community cleanup the third Saturday of every month.

Great Bay Scallop Search | August 24

Join TBEP and Tampa Bay Watch for the Great Bay Scallop Search! Snorkelers, boaters, and kayakers are needed to monitor the scallop population in Tampa Bay.

Gandy Beach Cleanup | August 31

Come out and join Keep Pinellas Beautiful the third Saturday of every month as we work to keep Gandy Beach litter-free!

Tampa Bay Debris Derby | October 5

Join us to clean trash from Tampa Bay! The more trash you collect, the more tickets you earn. Raffle tickets can be used for prizes provided by our amazing sponsors.

Waste Analysis and Strategies for Transportation End-uses - Apply by August 14

WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management - Apply by September 3

Bay Mini-Grants - Apply by September 13

Partners for Fish and Wildlife - Apply by September 30

RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program - Apply by October 31

Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants - Apply by November 21

National Fish Passage Program Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Restoring River, Floodplain, And Coastal Connectivity and Resiliency - Apply by December 31

Florida Coastal Island Sanctuaries Manager - Audubon - Tampa

Education Specialist - Tampa Bay Watch - Tierra Verde

Chief Park Ranger - Pinellas County - Fort de Soto

Environmental Specialist 2 or 3 - Pinellas County - Pinellas

Environmental Technician - Hillsborough County - Tampa