Launch of All Clams on Deck, A Winning Plan for Suncoast Waterways
On Saturday morning, January 15, 2022, a press conference was held at the Mar Vista Restaurant to announce the official launch of the All Clams on Deck (ACOD) initiative. ACOD is the brainchild and passion project of Ed Chiles, Vice President of GSI and former owner of the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant, located on the shores of Longboat Key. This area, where seagrass and clams have been directly impacted by environmental changes, served as the perfect setting to introduce ACOD, a project aimed at addressing issues in the region’s waterways.
All Clams on Deck is a five year multi-estuarine research initiative helping spearhead issues arising from increased development and pollution in our waterways, which have led to widespread seagrass die-offs. The initiative is meant to test the feasibility of seagrass (Halodule wrightii) restoration facilitated by southern hard clam (Mercenaria campechiensis) co-restoration at a management-relevant scale. As bivalves remove excess nutrients and deposit them into benthic sediments they improve water and in turn can promote vegetative growth. An increase in seagrass meadows and clam populations will preserve essential habitat, restore Southwest Florida, and promote coastal economic growth.
The health of Florida's waterways are as important as any commercial enterprise and are critical to its economy. As Ed stated, “we all have the rare privilege of living in the only state in the United States that borders three national estuaries of Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, and Charlotte Harbor. These estuaries’ future health is critical to Florida’s economy as a nursery habitat for over 75% of commercially harvested seafood species”.