A Boating and Angling Guide to Tampa Bay A Boating and Angling Guide to Tampa Bay Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Logo Tampa Bay Estuary Program Logo Florida Department of Environmental Protection Logo Sport Fish Restoration Logo Southwest Florida Water Management District Logo
About This Guide
Boating
Fishing
Maps
Natural Resources
Managed Areas
County Parks
State Parks and Preserves
Aquatic Preserves
National Wildlife Refuges
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Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission

Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission
100 Eighth Avenue SE
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
727-896-8626
http://MyFWC.com/
BoatingGuides
Boating_Guides@
MyFWC.com


Tampa Bay Estuary Program
100 Eighth Avenue SE
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
727-893-2765
http://www.tbep.org
saveit@tbep.org


Tampa Bay Estuary Program License Plate
Funding for this project was obtained through Tampa Bay Estuary Program specialty license plate funds.


Sport Fish Restoration Logo
Additional funding for this project was obtained through the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Fund.
Aquatic Preservers Banner
Simply put, aquatic preserves protect the living waters of Florida to ensure that they will always be home for breeding birds, fish nurseries, freshwater springs, salt marshes, seagrass meadows, and mangrove forests.

In 1975, with growing appreciation for their environmental diversity and alluring beauty, Florida enacted the Aquatic Preserve Act bringing existing preserves under a standard set of management criteria. This ensured that aquatic preserves' natural condition ... "their aesthetic, biological, and scientific values may endure for the enjoyment of future generations."

Today, Florida is fortunate to have 41 aquatic preserves, encompassing almost two million acres. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas oversees the management of these aquatic preserves, as well as three National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERR), one National Marine Sanctuary and the Coral Reef Conservation Program. The Tampa Bay area is home to four aquatic preserves: Boca Ciega Bay, Terra Ceia, Cockroach Bay, and Pinellas County.

For more information about Florida's aquatic preserves, please visit Florida's Aquatic Preserves.

Boca Ciega Bay Aquatic Preserve and Pinellas County Aquatic Preserve
Boca Ciega Bay Aquatic Preserve and Pinellas County Aquatic Preserve are both located in Pinellas County. Boca Ciega Bay Aquatic Preserve runs along the southwest coastline of the county and the remainder of the sovereign submerged lands in Pinellas County comprise the Pinellas County Aquatic Preserve.

Boca Ciega Bay Aquatic Preserve was established August 1, 1969. On, December 1, 1982, it was designated as an Outstanding Florida Water.  Pinellas County Aquatic Preserve was established March 21, 1972 and was designated as an Outstanding Florida Water on March 1, 1979.

Cockroach Aquatic Preserve
Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve is in southern Hillsborough County and includes part of the Little Manatee River. Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve was established July 1, 1976 and was designated as an Outstanding Florida Water on March 1, 1979.

Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve
Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve is in Manatee County, along the southeastern shore of Tampa Bay. Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve was established June 24, 1984, but was amended on June 25, 1985. It was designated as an Outstanding Florida Water on May 22, 1986.

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