FAMU professor Larry Robinson, assistant U.S. Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, recently celebrated a federal project that will restore nearly 70 acres of wetlands that feed into Tampa Bay. The work is being done through a collaborative effort on the part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Ecosphere Restoration Institute, and state and local partners.“This project restores fish and wildlife habitat lost in the 1950s when the wetlands were filled for development,” Robinson said. “The restoration work has helped support jobs for the community and improve important nursery habitat for fish, which is so vital to local recreational and commercial fisheries.”
NOAA provided $750,000 in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funding to Ecosphere Restoration Institute for the project. Hillsborough County and the Southwest Florida Water Management District also contributed funding for the restoration.
This project expands upon a 17-year restoration effort of the adjacent Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve, which is nearing its final stage of completion. The restored wetlands provide important nursery and foraging habitat for numerous fish, wading birds, and frogs.
Through the Recovery Act, NOAA was provided $167 million for marine and coastal habitat restoration. This project is one of four habitat restoration projects in Florida, out of 50 total projects selected by NOAA for this funding.