HomeOutdoorsAlgaeReel Time: The Center,...

Reel Time: The Center, clean and green

The Center of Anna Maria Island has long been a valuable resource for the citizens and visitors to the Island. In 2019, under the leadership of the Center’s executive director, Chris Culhane, and the director of development, Jim McDaniel, the Center officially added an environmental dimension to its mission in response to the 18-month red tide that devastated the Island’s marine resources and local businesses.

In 2019, after a conversation with Island entrepreneur and Manatee County environmental leader Ed Chiles, The Center began a relationship with Ocean Habitats Inc., the designer and builder of Mini Reefs. To date, almost 200 units have been distributed and are annually filtering more than two billion gallons of water and helping provide habitat for the new growth of an estimated 54,000 fish and 36,000 crabs.

The Center branded its annual fund that year as “Go Green” and hosted Philippe Cousteau, son of the legendary marine explorer and environmentalist Jacques Cousteau, as its campaign kick-off speaker. Cousteau develops relationships with The Center and its patrons at Beach Bistro.

In 2020, the Center’s crop of Mini Reefs grew to more than 150 units. Philippe Cousteau came back that year to introduce the Center’s “Go Green 2” campaign keynote speakers from Clearwater Marine Research Institute, Dr. James “Buddy” Powell and Dr. Ann Mari Alvarez. Third-grader Addy Du Toit interviewed Cousteau before his introduction and shares her passion to protect the environment by having students in local schools trade in their plastic toothbrushes for bamboo brushes. Cousteau fell in love with Addy, as has the community. Addy has also put up recycling receptacles in The Center and spoken to children in the Beyond The Classroom afterschool program. That same year Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria participated in Mini Reef installations at the Bradenton Beach Pier and AMI Historical Society docks.

In 2021, the Center continued growing its initiative in a newly designated lab space. Grants are awarded to the Center to support the initiative from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Manatee Community Foundation, the AMI Chamber of Commerce and private donors. The initiative also partnered with the Blue Waters Coalition, an organization that includes citizen-science groups from the Siesta Key Association and the city of Venice. The Center coordinates visits from these groups and schedules them on data gathering outings and training sessions with the support of Eckerd College’s marine science program, its students and teacher Dr. Jorge Angulo.

Each group has installed Mini Reefs and is developing data gathering with the same data points and methods for future collaboration between sites in a group study to be developed in 2022-23. The Center has events planned between Nov. 21 and Jan. 14 that have members of the community engaged in supporting their environment such as:

  • Citizen-science participation in Bimini Bay Initiative
  • Center beach cleanups on the first Saturday of each month at 9 a.m. Volunteers gather at the Center.
  • A community scavenger hunt
  • Holiday turtle painting decoration

The Center has an ambitious plan for the future and has programs for all Island residents. Stay tuned for more environmentally focused advocacy, and join the initiative at www.centerami.org.

Most Popular

More from Author

 Reel Time: Salon fundraiser meets with success

Salon (noun) - a conversational gathering of notables held at the...

Reel Time: Check, check and double check!

How many times have you arrived at the boat ramp to...

Reel Time: Suncoast Waterkeeper’s vision expands

Suncoast Waterkeeper (SCWK) has seen phenomenal growth over the last several...

Reel Time: Harbinger of spring

I just heard my first whippoorwill last night, a harbinger of...

Floridian Mortgage wins championship

ANNA MARIA – Spring has sprung and winter sports at The Center are coming to a close, with team Floridian Mortgage earning the win against team Moss Builders Thursday night in the adult co-ed flag football championship game. The top two teams in the league matched up in...

Man completes Chamber passport program in five hours

ANNA MARIA ISLAND - The annual Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce’s Passport Program is a fun way for residents and visitors to the Island to get out and discover Island businesses with a passport offered for free by the chamber. Participants are encouraged to get their passports...

One ARK Foundation raises funds for foster families

live music, delicious food and spirited fundraising as the One ARK Foundation held its second annual “Kindness Matters Extravaganza” at The Cheesecake Cutie & Cafe on March 21. “One ARK” stands for “one act of random kindness” and is a newly-established 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by The Cheesecake...

Save our homes

This column should be titled “Save our Taxes,” since that’s what we’re really talking about. However, saving on property taxes is part of the Save Our Homes benefits and portability transfers are another piece of this law. In January of 2008, the Florida Legislature passed legislation that allows...

 Reel Time: Salon fundraiser meets with success

Salon (noun) - a conversational gathering of notables held at the home of a prominent person. On Saturday afternoon, Suncoast Waterkeeper held its Suncoast Salon fundraiser at the Sarasota home of Anna Maria residents Bill and Debbie Partridge. The event was a sellout and attracted some of...

Temporary paid parking vendors hired

BRADENTON BEACH – City commissioners considered four temporary use parking permits at the March 21 commission meeting and after much discussion, approved three with stipulations, denying one. Permit applications were submitted by developer Shawn Kaleta for temporary parking lots at 102 Third St. N., 207 Church Ave. and...

Fire department sued over rental regulations

BRADENTON – Almost a year after passing a resolution changing the district’s approach to taxing and inspecting vacation rental properties in residential areas, West Manatee Fire Rescue is receiving pushback from one rental owner. During a March 19 commission meeting, the district’s attorney, Maggie Mooney, informed the board...

Bridge Street traffic, parking among commission concerns

BRADENTON BEACH – In what was an unusually lengthy, seven-hour city commission meeting that began at noon on March 21, commissioners dove into parking and traffic issues, pickleball and organ donation. BRIDGE STREET ONE WAY? A Bridge Street business owner asked the commission to consider making Bridge Street one...

Scaccianoce new Bradenton Beach commissioner

BRADENTON BEACH – Ward 1 has a new commissioner. The application for commissioner by business owner and former Manatee County records manager Deborah Scaccianoce was approved by the commission and she was sworn in at its March 21 meeting. She filled the vacant seat left by former Commissioner Jake...

Kruse talks beach parking, Island consolidation

HOLMES BEACH – About two dozen people came out on March 20 to meet with Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse, bringing their questions for the candidate, who is seeking re-election in November. Kruse held a town hall meeting at the Island Branch Library where he answered every question...

Commissioners deny bids for paid parking

BRADENTON BEACH – Rather than partnering with an outside vendor as planned, commissioners are now considering city-managed paid parking lots throughout Bradenton Beach. The city had put out a Request for Proposals (RFP) on Feb. 9 to “Provide the City with a complete parking management and enforcement system...