Living shoreline near completion at St. Petersburg’s Lassing Park
An effort to address severe shoreline erosion in St. Petersburg’s Passing Park is close to wrapping up, with the final pieces of a living shoreline set to be installed on Earth Day, April 22.
A big part of the project are oyster reef balls, which are meant to attract oysters and create a thriving new ecosystem.
Each oyster reef ball is made from marine-safe concrete and weighs about 200 pounds, shaped in a fiber glass mold by members and volunteers with the non-profit organization Tampa Bay Watch.
“It is a man-made object, but the hope is that it will blend into the backdrop of the natural shoreline we’ll help to create,” said Eric Plage, Oyster Reef Ball Project Coordinator. “And it won’t be as obvious that that was something created by us and rather than just naturally occurring.”