THE BAY BLOG

We believe that environmental education should be fun and accessible for everyone— from curious kids to lifelong learners. On The Bay Blog, our marine science educators and interns dive into their favorite topics, conjuring up engaging stories and insights just for you.

Scroll to explore the unique wonders of our beautiful bay!

Leah Biery 7/30/24 Leah Biery 7/30/24

No Horsing Around: Seahorses and Their Critical Role in the Ecosystem

The Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center educates guests on seahorses, pipefish, and Tampa Bay Watch’s restoration work and research in partnership with Project Seahorse.

Leah Biery 4/28/24 Leah Biery 4/28/24

The importance of water quality, from aquariums to the open ocean

Whether amateur or professional, any aquarist is familiar with the struggle to maintain water quality in their tanks.

Mia McCormick 7/17/23 Mia McCormick 7/17/23

Shark Knowledge can help Conquer Fear

Tampa Bay Watch Director of Education Katie Mastenbrook explains how a 7-day field course at a shark lab in Bimini, Bahamas is helping her teach local students to conquer their fear of sharks.

Leah Biery 6/6/23 Leah Biery 6/6/23

Environmentally Sound: Why I’m Proud of My Ugly Lawn

My wife and I have the ugliest lawn in our neighborhood. At my house, there is no scrambling to enhance grass. We do not kill weeds or plants that can be perceived as nuisances. We also don’t spray weed killers or pesticides to deter growth in the sidewalk or kill insects, and we don’t water our lawn. A point we are quite proud of.

Mich Sullivan 4/25/23 Mich Sullivan 4/25/23

Red Tide

During this time of year, when you go to the beach you may see some dead animals wash up on shore. Why is that? This is due to the phenomenon called red tide. Red tide is a type of algal bloom that is free-floating through the water.