$500,000 is a lot of clams.
Manatee County commissioners Aug. 9 fulfilled a $500,000 funding request made by islander Ed Chiles, founder and board member of the All Clams on Deck initiative.
The seats in the commission chambers were filled with staff and supporters of All Clams on Deck, an initiative of the nonprofit Gulf Shellfish Institute, also a Chiles endeavor, as he spoke to commissioners about the project.
“Harmful algal blooms and water quality issues are what keeps me up at night,” said Chiles, who operates restaurants in Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Longboat Key and other business enterprises in the county. He also is an appointed member of the Manatee County Tourist Development Council and the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency.
Already this year, the All Clams initiative received $2.5 million in funding through the 2022-23 state budget.
Chiles told commissioners funding from the county would show support for water quality initiatives.
The money will seed a five-year research and restoration initiative in Tampa and Sarasota bays, as well as Charlotte Harbor. The project will focus on planting clams and seagrasses, to create a natural “macro-laboratory.” The process will allow researchers to evaluate biological mitigation strategies to combat nutrient loading and improve water quality.
Chiles called on the county to help lead the way and he lauded the city of Bradenton Beach for a 2018 decision to start a clam broodstock restoration program. That program saw more than 100,000 clams placed in the nearshore waters at the Historic Bridge Street Pier.
“We’ve got to do everything that we can to mitigate nutrient loading and make our coastal areas more resilient,” Chiles said. “One way we can do that is through bivalves and seagrasses.”
Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge motioned to direct $500,000 to GSI for bivalve research. Commissioner Carol Whitmore seconded the motion, which passed 7-0.
The money will come from the county reserve fund.
To learn more about the Gulf Shellfish Institute, go online to www.gulfshellfish.org
To learn more about All Clams on Deck, go online to www.allclamsondeck.org.