Diabetes and Neuropathy Treatment in Braden River, FL

It was once called “Oyster River.”

Historical records highlight how shellfish once lined vast acres of the Manatee River that flows between Bradenton and Palmetto into the Gulf of Mexico and Lower Tampa Bay. Today, several local organizations and government agencies are working together to bring the oysters back and boost local water quality.

“I didn’t really associate the Manatee River with a lot of oysters. As I started digging in deeper, I found out I was wrong for the most interesting reasons ever,” says Damon Moore, founder and executive director of Oyster River Ecology.

Manatee River’s oyster reefs were numerous until near the end of the 1800s, Moore says. They were also likely bursting with life.

Today, we know that the many benefits of healthy oyster beds include stabilizing shorelines, filtering water, allowing seagrass to thrive and providing habitat for marine life like fish, crabs and shorebirds.

But where did all the oysters go?

As with most imbalances in the environment, the problem was people taking too much.

Moore found newspaper articles, government reports and firsthand accounts that pieced together how oysters were removed from the river by the shipload for food, paving roads and large-scale commercial harvest for building material in the 19th and 20th centuries.

A report from the United States Fish Commission, a precursor to NOAA Fisheries, outlined the decline quite plainly. A bounty of “oysters, oysters everywhere” in 1876 dwindled to “partially or totally depleted” by 1897.

“This is a resource that, at a large scale, was taken out of the river between 1875 and 1900,” Moore says of oysters. “We lost a major resource before most of our grandparents were born.”

Local efforts have already shown that oyster restoration can work on a small scale.

An oyster reef installation project in Perico Bayou facilitated by Manatee County Government, Sarasota Bay and Tampa Bay Estuary Programs is now thriving, according to Sherri Swanson, the county’s ecological and marine resources division manager.

“It’s completely created from scratch,” Swanson said. “If you go out to that bar at low tide there’s blue crabs, conchs, wading birds. It’s just teeming with life.”

Moore founded his nonprofit in 2022 with a simple mission: ratcheting up local oyster restoration on a large scale, as fast as possible.

“The science is already there to support this. We don’t need to research more, we need to do it,” Moore says.

The research shows that oysters provide the literal bedrock of a healthy waterway. Places that have begun restoring oysters, like the Mid-Atlantic’s Chesapeake Bay, are already seeing the benefits.

They include removing thousands of fertilizer bags worth of nutrients from the water, increasing survival rates of commercially important blue crabs and increasing food and habitat for a variety of marine life, according to NOAA.

Moore’s nonprofit finds ways to get the whole community in on the restoration process, from education talks to field trips and hands-on volunteer work.

He’s also working with Manatee County Government to develop a master plan for oyster restoration.

Now comes a step that’s been years in the making.

With the planting of a 10-acre oyster bed set to begin in the coming weeks, Moore hopes to show that restoring the shellfish to their rightful home in the Manatee River can start making a difference right now — in local water quality, wildlife and ecosystem health.

Oyster beds won’t thrive just anywhere.

They grow best in a “Goldilocks” zone, Moore says — not too fresh, not too salty. Predators with a taste for oysters lurk in saltier water, preventing them from establishing large beds.

Using historical info, modern aerial maps and the locations of the few remaining oyster beds in the Manatee River, Moore and Manatee County staff identified potential areas for starting new oyster beds.

Then they scouted in person to pinpoint the ideal spots. For Moore, that meant weeks of being pulled along by rope behind a boat and dunking below the surface to inspect the riverbed.

What’s next? Laying a foundation.

Oyster beds grow generation by generation, with new layers of shellfish forming on top of the old ones.

The problem is, much of that old substrate was lost to dredging.

“They’ve lost that self-sustaining ability,” said Charlie Hunsicker, Manatee County’s Natural Resources Director.

Oysters have found ways to survive in smaller numbers in the Manatee River, where they can be found growing on mangrove roots, old tires, crab traps and power poles.

All that’s missing is a hard surface on the river bed for oyster larvae to attach to, grow and begin the process of establishing a healthy reef.

A single female oyster can release millions of eggs, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. So given the right conditions, oysters can come back fast.

The solution is introducing a new surface for oysters to grow on. Old shell is an ideal, natural candidate.

But it’s also hard to come by, and expensive.

A program to recycle shells from local seafood restaurants is providing one reliable source, but it won’t be enough for large-scale restoration, Moore says.

For now, the most affordable solution he’s found is what he calls “vertical oyster garden anchors.”

It’s his own spin on an oyster propagating method that has been practiced from China to South Carolina, in which old shells are drilled through the center and then placed on a metal stake that can be planted in the river bed.

As baby oysters land on the old shell and grow, they eventually fall to the bottom of the riverbed and form the beginning of a new oyster reef.

“They’re often called ecosystem engineers because they build the habitats themselves,” Moore said. “So I’m saying, let’s put them to work.”

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recently permitted Moore to begin oyster restoration on a 10-acre site in the Manatee River east of the Interstate 75 overpass and the mouth of the Braden River.

Close by, Manatee County Government has a 6-acre plot permitted.

“This is the first aquaculture restoration lease in the entire state dedicated to oysters,” Moore says with pride.

He plans to begin planting oysters in April.

The Tampa Bay Estuary Program, part of the National Estuary Program instituted to improve water quality, including in the Manatee River, has set a target of restoring 300 acres of local oyster beds by 2050.

Manatee County staff say they will contribute as many acres as possible to that goal.

Hunsicker said the county has about $2 million slated for efforts to improve water quality, including oyster restoration, that is almost entirely funded by grants.

Swanson said the county will soon begin a pilot oyster-planting project, and they expect to add 10-20 more acres of oyster restoration in the Manatee River by summer 2025.

Moore estimates that the Manatee River could eventually support over 400 acres of oyster restoration. But that will require continued funding from grants and support from government leaders.

“It’s a part of the solution. But it’s not the whole solution by any means,” Moore says.

Oysters can filter some of the nutrients that feed harmful algal bloom out of the water. Widely cited research says that a single adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons per day, but the number in the wild is between 3 and 12 gallons a day, FWC says.

“Regardless of what that actual number is, if you’re putting enough of them out there, there is definitely a benefit of increased water filtration,” Moore says.

Some of the nutrients are stored in their tissue, but they create a waste product that is still nutrient-rich, Moore says.

But that’s where the beauty of the oyster reef habitat comes into play. Healthy oyster reefs support bacteria that can break down the oyster waste and convert the nitrogen it contains into a form that is unavailable for red tide algae to use as fuel.

Local environmental organizations and municipalities are eagerly jumping on board with oyster restoration efforts.

In addition to Manatee County, Bradenton and Palmetto have also invested in restoration projects.

The Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay Estuary Programs are also pitching in.

“Oysters are fantastic for fishing because a lot of small fish are attracted to oysters, and the filtering is really important too,” Sarasota Bay Estuary Program executive director Dave Tamasko said. “Once you get oysters really fired up in a place, they create even more oyster reefs.”

Oyster restoration has also found bipartisan political support, from the county commission to federal representatives.

“It’s a feel-good project, but it’s also a quality of life project,” said Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge, who commended county staff for their work to restore the oyster population.

“It’ll help clean up the bay in our region. It’s not going to clean everything up, but it’ll make a difference,” Rep. Vern Buchanan said last year during a tour of local hatchery Two Dock Shellfish.

Locals who live on the water can also help in a small way by installing a vertical oyster garden off of their dock.

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Ryan Ballogg is a local news and environment reporter and features writer at the Bradenton Herald. His work has received awards from the Florida Society of News Editors and the Florida Press Club. Ryan is a Florida native and graduate of USF St. Petersburg.

On Wednesday, a blockage reported to the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation noted that a system failure caused wastewater to flow into the river.

“At 12:10 pm the city water Reclamation Facility experienced an operational failure,” the notice said. “The filter system had a blockage of the media causing 1.2 million gallons of partially treated wastewater to be bypassed into the Manatee River. The bypass was closed at 5:10 pm and the river sampling was started. City staff cleaned the (areas) affected and a normal operation resumed.”

The sewage had not completed the disinfection process from raw sewage.

Officials continue to test the river for bacteria.

In 2022, Bradenton settled a lawsuit with the environmental group Suncoast Waterkeeper regarding wastewater spilling.

“We spent a lot of time monitoring the compliance with the terms of our settlement,” said the nonprofit’s founder Justin Bloom. “Bradenton is doing a lot of work to fix their system and come into compliance and this is really unfortunate."

Bloom says the group had identified a lot of systemic problems at the city's facility, but the recent spill was not related.

“In the past we've had major intentional bypasses,” he said. “They knew that there was a problem with the sewage treatment plant, or that the system got overwhelmed and they intentionally bypassed it, meaning they bypass a part of the treatment system or they bypass the plant and it goes into the river. This was not an intentional bypass.”

He said water temperatures are cooler right now so there is less of a concern that the spill will fuel an algae bloom.

“We live in an area where these types of things are really impactful on our environment,” Bloom said. “We need to be vigilant and to be watching local governments that operate sewage systems, and, and in cases where they're making efforts to upgrade them, I think they need the support of residents to accomplish those goals.”

Bloom said residents should avoid recreational activities around the spill area which is near downtown Bradenton east of the Riverwalk.

When Southeast High School began its coaching search, it didn’t begin with the candidate that they ended up selecting.

The head coach the Seminoles decided on resided just under six miles away in distance between the previous school he led.

On Thursday, according to a report by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s Dennis Maffezzoli, Southeast selected Braden River High School’s Curt Bradley as their next head football coach from a poll of around 60 applicants.

The selection comes as somewhat of a surprise when taking a look at the two programs in recent memory. Bradley’s overall record through 12 seasons with the Pirates is 74-55, with a regional championship under his belt.

Over the last two seasons for Southeast, it’s been rough for the program that was once a state power out of Manatee County. The Seminoles are a combined 1-18 record between 2022-2023.

“There is nothing against Braden River,” Bradley said in the report. “Coach Bob Bowling took a chance on me at 26 years old. I’m forever grateful. I met my wife at Braden River and became a husband and a father at Braden River. I’m incredibly thankful and grateful to Braden River High School.”

Innovation High School chooses former The First Academy head coach Leroy Kinard as lead man

The first-ever head coach in Innovation High School history will be a familiar name to the Orlando area.

Former The First Academy head coach Leroy Kinard has been tabbed as the program’s lead man, per an announcement by the school.

Kinard is no stranger to the area as the former Royals’ head coach tallied 126 wins and 13 playoff appearances during his time at The First Academy.

The new Bulls’ head coach has seven district championships under his belt, is a member of the West Orange Hall of Fame and played in the NFL for the New York Jets in the early 1990’s.

Longtime Plantation head coach Steve Davis retires

It’s been a long time coming for Plantation head coach Steve Davis.

After 28 seasons as a head coach in South Florida, Plantation head coach Steve Davis will be retiring, according to Sleeper Athletes on Thursday afternoon.

Davis has coached from 1998-2023 between Blanche Ely and Plantation, compiling an overall record of 175-85, winning a state championship in 2002.

Ridgeview names Merlin Smith as head football and wrestling coach

Years of success at Oakleaf Jr. High School has led to multiple head coaching opportunities for Merlin Smith.

Smith was named the new head football, wrestling coach at Ridgeview High School. The Panthers have fallen on hard times the last three seasons, compiling an overall record of 3-27.

BRADENTON, FL — The Bradenton Water Reclamation Facility at 1810 1st Street W. spilled 1.2 million gallons of sewage into the Manatee River on Feb. 28, according to a notice filed by the city with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

The facility experienced an “operational failure” just after noon that day, the notice said.

“The filter system had a blockage of the media causing 1.2 million gallons of partially treated wastewater to be bypassed into the Manatee River,” the city wrote.

After the bypass closed just after 5 p.m., staff began sampling the river and cleaning areas affected.

“Normal operation” resumed by Feb. 29 at 6 a.m., according to the notice.

Find out what's happening in Bradentonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Suncoast Waterkeeper, an environmental conservation organization based in Sarasota, wrote in a Facebook post Saturday that “no conclusions have been made yet as to the wastewater discharge’s state of disinfection.”

The organization issued a “no swim warning” for the area of the spill.

Patch has reached out to the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County about whether there are any health concerns in the affected area.

In 2022, the city and local environmental groups, including the Suncoast Waterkeeper, settled a Clean Water Act lawsuit. The suit was filed after more than 160 million gallons of partially treated wastewater spilled from the treatment plant into the river over several incidents.

According to the terms of the lawsuit, the city said it would use $8 million in federal stimulus money to make improvements to the facility and would invest at least $220,000 in projects improving local waterways, WUSF reported.

“We are continuously monitoring their compliance with the terms of the settlement agreement which was designed to bring the city back in compliance with the permit and the Clean Water Act,” Suncoast Waterkeeper wrote in its post. “Stipulated penalties will likely be assessed for this and other spills according to the settlement. Penalties will go to the Florida DEP as well as the Tampa Bay Estuary Program.”

Patch has reached out to the city for comments about the wastewater spill and the water testing results.

City Administrator Rob Perry told the Bradenton Herald that upgrades to its wastewater treatment facilities — including $20 million for the wastewater treatment plant and $20 million for the wastewater collection system — will be completed by 2032.

Bradenton officials say those changes are underway and should be finished by 2032. They include $20 million in upgrades to the city’s wastewater treatment plant and another $20 million to overhaul the city’s wastewater collection system, City Administrator Rob Perry said.

“We are trying to fix legacy problems that have plagued the city for quite some time,” he said. “The goal is to have no spills at all.”

A judge sentenced a former standout Braden River football player to 25 years in prison for drug trafficking, the State Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.

Craivon Dyshaun Koonce, 24, was convicted of armed trafficking more than 28 grams of fentanyl and possession of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver, according to a release. The verdict came Wednesday after a jury trial presided over by Circuit Court Judge Frederick Mercurio at the Manatee County Courthouse in downtown Bradenton, court records show.

The maximum possible sentence for the crimes was life in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 25 years, according to the release.

The State Attorney’s Office said Koonce must also pay a $500,000 fine.

On Dec. 11, 2021, Koonce was in the front passenger seat of a car that was stopped by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office in Ellenton for illegal window tint, according to an arrest report. During the stop, the deputy said the car smelled like marijuana and smoke was seen exiting the vehicle as the windows were opened.

When deputies searched the vehicle, prosecutors say they found a backpack on the front passenger floorboard in front of Koonce. Inside the backpack was a loaded firearm, 37 grams of fentanyl, multiple bags of cocaine, a scale, cash and multiple ID cards that had Koonce’s name on them, according to an affidavit.

Prosecutors say Koonce told officers the backpack belonged to him and later admitted the same thing during jail phone calls that were played for the jury during the trial, according to a release.

“Thanks to the efforts of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, over 28 grams of fentanyl were removed from the streets and seized from a drug dealer. This is significant because just one 2 milligram dose of fentanyl is enough to kill an adult, and the defendant had enough fentanyl in his possession to potentially kill over 14,000 adults,” said Assistant State Attorney Michael Anolfo in a news release.

Koonce was previously a standout wide receiver for Braden River High School, where he was their leading receiver in 2017, earning himself the nickname “Mr. Go Krazy” due to his ability to make plays on the football field.