The third annual Sarasota Bay Scallop Count, organized by Sarasota Bay Watch, is complete and the results are in. They aren’t good – The total number of scallops found: 0. The Great Bay Scallop Count, organized by Tampa Bay Watch also turned up disappointing number of scallops: 32.
“Water Quality” is to blame by both organizations A very vague term. It could be almost anything. Red tide has been certainly been part of the decline. But there were very little red tide blooms last year and the number of scallops went from 674 in 2009 to only 32 this year for Tampa Bay. When a red tide does come through it has a 100% mortality rate on scallops and other filter feeders.
Without more research it looks like it’s just going to remain a mystery as to what’s up with the scallops.
It is sad. Hope it’s gonna be better next year and years to come.
Doesn’t really seem like the numbers have ever been really good in many many years.
I hope they aren’t even considering letting ANYONE harvest any scallops any time soon.
Oh! That’s really very disappointing result.
water quality might be responsible, which is often the response when something negative is perceived to be taking place in our local waters and apart from this low-dissolved oxygen plays important role and it can affect it deeply
My girlfriend works for a Tampa Seafood Restaurant, and they are having trouble getting Scallops lately. I am going to follow the link to Tampa Bay Watch, to see what their thought on it are.
Is this related to the oil spill? I know it couldn’t possibly help anything:(
On a sad note, in order to pander to some local businesses, our governor opened scallop season early this year!:
http://texxsmith.net/1w
Can you believe this crap! they are just like blatantly destroying everything!