SouthShore Regional Library Hosts Photo Exhibit

Tampa Bay: 20/20, a traveling photo exhibit celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, is on display through the end of the month in the library's community exhibit space.

"Tampa Bay: 20/20" features finalists from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program's 2010 Photo Contest, as well as select additional images from local photographers. Together, the photos tell a story of Tampa Bay's recovery over the past two decades -- as shown in clearer water, increased fish and wildlife populations and expanding recreational use of the bay.

The traveling exhibit is underwritten by Mosaic, one of the world's leading producers and marketers of concentrated phosphate and potash, two of the primary nutrients required to grow food.

Mosaic is a founding member of the Tampa Bay Nitrogen Management Consortium, an alliance of public and private partners working together with the Tampa Bay Estuary Program to improve water quality in Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay was designated an "estuary of national significance" by Congress in 1990. The Tampa Bay Estuary Program came into being one year later to assist the region in developing and implementing a comprehensive plan to restore the bay. Today, water quality in most bay segments is as good as it was in the 1950s.

"We are delighted to be able to share this special photo exhibit, and the progress in bay restoration represented by these photos, with the residents who have supported our efforts since TBEP was created in 1991," said Holly Greening, TBEP Executive Director.

Educational captions complement the beautiful images, and help to shed light on the progress made in restoring the bay; the diversity of plant and animal life supported by the bay; and the special connection we feel for the region's signature waterway.