Volunteer! Tampa Bay Watch Oyster Projects

Volunteers Needed for Oyster project to restore Fantasy Island

March 1-4, 9am – noon & 1-4pm

Tampa Bay Watch is recruiting volunteers to create an oyster shell bar on the shoreline of Fantasy Island in Hillsborough Bay. The meeting location is Williams Park Boat Ramp, 8749 U.S. 41, Riverview, FL 33578. The boat ramp is on the west side of US 41 (Tamiami Trail) where US 41 and the north side of the Alafia River intersect.

Fantasy Island has severely eroded since it was created in the 1970’s due to changes in currents and sand distribution, mainly since it is close to the heavily used shipping channel. Creation of a series of oyster dome fields and shell bars is an effort to restore lost habitat systems to the bay, prevent further erosion of Fantasy Island, and improve water quality through natural biological filtration.

If you have a boat that you are willing to volunteer to help transport oyster shell from Williams Park to Fantasy Island, click here to contact Rachel.

Oyster shell bar creation involves shoveling fossilized oyster shells into mesh bags, transporting the bags via boat and placing oyster shell bags on the shoreline to create a series of oyster bars. It is pretty physical labor with oyster shell bags weighing around 30 pounds each, therefore the miminum age to participate is 15 years old. Click on the below project dates to register to volunteer! We need volunteers on the following dates from 9am – noon on each day: Wednesday, March 2, Thursday, March 3, & Friday, March 4.