From Sarasota Bay Watch:

Hello Friends and Partners,

We are sorry to report that the Sarasota Bay Scallop Search/Clam Jam is postponed. It was originally scheduled for this Saturday, August 25, 2018. We have not selected another date for the scallop search but we hope to get everyone together for this wonderful event later in the year.

Yesterday Ronda accompanied a scientist on a flight around the Bay and Gulf and unfortunately saw red tide all over the place and many thousands of dead fish. Our Scallop Searches have always been a celebration of this wonderful place where we live, an enjoyable reunion with old friends and a chance to meet new friends, a lunch shared together, and a boating and snorkeling experience with our families. Now is not the right time to carry on this special Sarasota tradition.

We share your anxiety about this terrible red tide bloom – the stink, the die off, and being cut off from our water-loving lifestyle. On the positive side, it is a reminder to be part of the solution. None of us can flip a switch and just fix it, but all of us can do something to reduce pollution from our own lives, to add more life to the bay, and to protect wild habitats where nature thrives.

Do Something! Take a kid out on the bay where they can learn to love it like you do. Plant native plants that feed birds or shelter wildlife. Keep your trash out of the water. Join us in a cleanup. Be more careful with fishing line. Catch and release. Eat sustainable seafood. Keep your septic system in perfect condition. Avoid fertilizing. Speak up and share your beliefs. Work together. Join us or join one of our many partners. Find your passion and act on it. Be American and vote. Alone we can only do so much but together we can build a rich future for our children and the Sarasotans who come after us.

If you can't make it to Scallopalooza, we always welcome your donations.