Our new film ‘Once Upon a Tampa Bay’ is about the movement led by Tampa Bay Watch to restore the mighty Tampa Bay.
Once upon a time, Tampa Bay was one of our planet’s biggest, greatest, most diverse estuaries.
Native Americans lived here before, during, and after the bay came into existence 6,000 years ago.
Modern-day cultures continue the coastal ways: Fishing, boating, and building storm-resilient communities.
Our modern civilization brought new challenges to Tampa Bay.
Habitat destruction and water quality decline depleted estuarine communities, including oyster reefs, scallops in seagrass, and coastal wetlands.
Oysters, scallops, and coastal wetlands filter nutrients from the water and land. Tampa Bay and the four million people living around Tampa Bay need these wonderful filter feeders.
Watch our film to learn how to help the bay be great once again.