Students from AMIkids did backflips off a boat, strapped on snorkels, and planted seagrass on the floor of Tampa Bay late last week, capping two years of scientific groundwork with one acre of new underwater meadow.

The nonprofit, based in Tampa and founded in 1969, paired its students with community volunteers for the hands-on restoration near St. Petersburg, according to a Tampa Bay Times photo essay published Monday, Aug. 3. Earlier in the week, the group spent an afternoon attaching seagrass shoots to U-shaped garden stakes and securing them with biodegradable twist ties. By Friday, they were in the water, pressing those stakes into the bay bottom.

Jeremiah Milton, a Tampa student enrolled in AMIkids, gathered and prepared seagrass for planting during the event. Jorge Mahauad, AMIkids' director of marine education, was on-site overseeing the work.

For Apollo Beach and Ruskin residents, the project hits close to home. Seagrass meadows are the nursery habitat that supports the manatees visible at the TECO Manatee Viewing Center, the sea turtles that nest along local shores, and the fish that sustain the area's recreational boating culture. Those same meadows buffer against storm surges and reduce shoreline erosion along waterfront properties.

The bay needs the help. The most recent publicly available state mapping data, from a 2023 study, showed Tampa Bay lost more than 4,100 acres of seagrass between 2020 and 2022, a 12% decline that marked the first time the bay experienced losses in three consecutive mapping studies, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Old Tampa Bay saw a 38% drop in that same period, reaching an all-time low.

Serra Herndon, habitat restoration director at Tampa Bay Watch, pointed to the broader recovery during the July 22 Great Bay Scallop Search: "Tampa Bay's water quality and seagrass beds have since improved to levels that will once again support the bay scallop population," she said.

AMIkids' Youth-Led Seagrass Restoration program goes beyond planting. Students participate in site assessment using GPS, underwater cameras, and GIS mapping, then move through species identification, planting, and long-term monitoring. The nonprofit says the program introduces youth to potential careers in marine science, environmental consulting, and conservation. A grant from the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay funds the initiative.

After the planting wrapped up Friday, students and volunteers celebrated with freshly grilled burgers and hot dogs on shore.

AMIkids has published a 10-step implementation guide for other youth organizations and is actively seeking volunteers for future restoration events. Residents interested in volunteering can visit AMIkids' restoration page.

What's ahead:

• AMIkids is recruiting volunteers for 2026 seagrass restoration events; details at amikids.org/seagrass-restoration.
• The TECO Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach remains a free destination to observe the marine life that depends on healthy seagrass habitat.