2024 in Review
(L to R) Board member Alison Albee, Board Chair Rusty Chinnis, Executive Director Dr. Abbey Tyrna and Board member Merrie Lynn Parker
at the opening of the Resilience Incubator.
A Letter from Suncoast Waterkeeper Executive Director, Dr. Abbey Tyrna
As we reflect on our incredible strides this year, I am reminded that your support has been at the heart of every success. Together, we’ve built momentum to protect our wetlands, improve water quality, and educate the next generation of environmental stewards. Here’s a glimpse of what we’ve accomplished in 2024:
- Two major wins for wetlands: Manatee County Commissioners voted to restore 50-foot wetland buffers and dropped penalties against clean water advocate and former County Commissioner Joe McClash.
- A brighter future for Tampa Bay: Our team of environmental plaintiffs won a default judgment against the owner of the Piney Point facility! We also settled with the State of Florida on the case, which led to the first Clean Water Act permit for the site in over 20 years. This permit puts strict limits on pollution and provides critical oversight that had been solely lacking through the decades. Our Piney Point settlement also provided $75,000 to the Tampa Bay Estuary Program to fund water quality monitoring and assess the legacy of environmental pollution left by Piney Point.
- Empowering local students: The second year of our Environmental Ambassadors program kicked off and has grown by 40%! This youth leadership program equips Booker High students in North Sarasota with the tools and knowledge necessary to tackle pressing environmental challenges in their community and beyond.
- Vital work surveying vulnerable mangroves: During our inaugural year of Mangrove Rangers, we had 20 volunteers survey 17 acres. These volunteers braved the Florida winter to complete our mission of surveying five vulnerable locations for mangrove forests in Sarasota and Palma Sola Bays. This work resulted in the creation of a health index score, which highlighted the impacts of legal trimming on mangrove health. This effort also provided the data necessary to advocate for better protection of these vital ecosystems.
- Quickly responding after the storms: From the heavy rains in early June to the three tropical storms and hurricanes that followed, Suncoast Waterkeeper quickly sprang into action, assessing water quality and alerting the public about wastewater spills. We quickly stepped in where government agencies fell short, providing residents and visitors with critical information to help them decide when it was safe to resume water-based activities.
- A growing team and a new home: We expanded our Water Quality Program with a full-time specialist and a water quality lab! We also moved out of bedroom offices and kitchen tables to join the Resilience Incubator, a collaboration of 12 environmental organizations working to create a future where people and the environment can thrive, be resilient to today's threats, and be adaptable to overcome tomorrow's challenges.
This year, we faced hard truths about the challenges still ahead. We saw how our warming atmosphere, carrying more moisture, is fueling more frequent and intense rainfall. These events exposed the inadequacy of our wastewater infrastructure and revealed that many communities are at greater risk of flooding than previously understood.
We also learned that Conservation Easements—intended to protect the Suncoast’s remaining wild spaces—can too easily be rescinded, allowing developers to undo safeguards put in place to offset environmental damage.
Suncoast Waterkeeper is ready to tackle these critical issues in 2025. With your support, we can make a lasting impact. Your donation today will ensure we start 2025 with the resources we need to continue this important work.
Thank you for standing with us to protect the waters we love. Together, we can make an even greater impact in 2025!
With gratitude,
Dr. Abbey Tyrna, Waterkeeper & Executive Director
2024 has been a year of huge growth for Suncoast Waterkeeper and none of it would have been possible without YOU, our supporters! Take a look and see why we're so proud of our work in 2024.
As 2024 ends, we reflect on a major milestone in protecting Florida’s waters: securing stronger Clean Water Act protections for the Piney Point phosphate facility. After decades of neglect and mismanagement, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has committed to enforceable pollution limits and independent monitoring, closing a troubling chapter of regulatory inaction.
“This new permit is long overdue,” said Dr. Abbey Tyrna, Executive Director of Suncoast Waterkeeper. “It addresses the legacy of pollution while setting a higher standard for Tampa Bay’s water quality.”
This achievement was made possible through legal action by Suncoast Waterkeeper, Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, the Center for Biological Diversity, ManaSota-88, and Our Children’s Earth Foundation. This settlement marks a critical step forward, but as Dr. Tyrna noted, "Suncoast Waterkeeper and our partners have stepped up to enforce the laws that the state should have been upholding all along. There is still so much work to be done and to clean up after this disaster and the responsibility to protect our waters needs to be shared between the state and the community."
As we move into 2025, the Piney Point settlement reminds us of the power of community and legal action in holding polluters accountable. Together, we’ve proven that change is possible — and that it’s worth fighting for.
EA
Every other Friday at Booker High School, students gather during lunch—not just to socialize, but to tackle real environmental challenges. These are the Environmental Ambassadors, part of a collaboration between Suncoast Waterkeeper and the Multicultural Health Institute (MHI).
What began last year with a small group has grown by 40% with 12-13 new students. This year, the program is diving deeper into air quality and its effects on community health. The students aren’t just learning; they’re doing. Before Thanksgiving, they rolled up their sleeves to create DIY air monitors. As they worked, classmates stopped by, intrigued. “That’s so cool,” one student said, after hearing about the experiment and the club. This week, the students will analyze their findings, further exploring the air they breathe and the larger implications of the school’s location across the street from concrete plants.
For these students, the program is more than a learning experience; it’s an empowering call to action. “You don’t have to wait until you’re an adult to make a difference,” is the underlying message. By the end of the year, the Ambassadors will have contributed hours of community service and completed impactful projects that explore what it means to live “A Day in their Environment.”
These young leaders inspire us every day. Returning students are guiding newcomers, while all are building skills and connections for future careers in health, water, and air quality. The Environmental Ambassadors are growing into great environmental stewards and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the year brings!
EA
As the new Water Quality & Pollution Specialist, it has been an honor (and joy!) to be in this niche of protecting the environment and uplifting communities. This cause is near and dear to me, and I am grateful to be part of Suncoast Waterkeeper.
With 2025 just around the corner, I am delighted to share some of this year’s highlights and challenges in protecting the Suncoast
- Weekly bacteria testing: Our enterococci (fecal indicator bacteria) monitoring is at the heart of our water quality program; I am consistently sampling from 11 sites in Sarasota and Manatee Counties every week. I am always happy to meet those of you who approach me on the field! 2025 will mark our fifth year in a row of bacteria testing, so this is an exciting milestone.
- Storm Response: During hurricane season, we didn’t miss a beat. We stayed on top of our water quality testing efforts and continued weekly sampling without interruption. We joined local communities in clean-ups while assessing storm impacts on Sarasota Bay, including water quality and marine debris. Record-high enterococci levels were observed after heavy rainfall with Debby, but safe-to-swim conditions returned after five weeks, showcasing the amazing resilience of our local bays and their ability to bounce back to pre-hurricane conditions.
- Challenges of sewage spills: We saw hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage and wastewater spills. However, the City of Bradenton and Manatee County are working hard to upgrade their infrastructure, and I am supportive and optimistic that their efforts will lead to meaningful improvements.
- Building our laboratory: Our laboratory is nearing full operational capacity! In the coming year, I am excited to fully utilize the space and equipment you’ve helped us invest in as I research more aspects of our estuaries and bays.
It has been inspiring, to say the least, to meet people in this community with shared values and goals for clean water. I look forward to more projects made possible through scientific monitoring and collaborative action. THANK YOU for being here to support our mission!
- Pia Ronquillo-See
Water Quality and Pollution Specialist, M. Sc
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