Students from Meadowlawn Middle School created water stories based on an interview with the Discovery Center’s Education Coordinator, Zoe Caraffi.

During this time of year, when you go to the beach you may see some dead animals wash up on shore. Why is that? This is due to the phenomenon called red tide. Red tide is a type of algal bloom that is free-floating through the water.

Keep an eye out for the invasive Burmese Python as it slowly begins to make its way north. Invasive species are those that are non-native and cause ecological destruction to the ecosystem they are invading.

Florida is home to 27 different native species of frogs. This is due to Florida’s ideal living conditions for amphibians and reptiles.

The species found in our bay are endless, but one unique creature is the Cownose ray. This type of stingray is important to the ecosystem and has an interesting relationship with humans that also inhabit the bay.

The Tampa Bay watershed is home to a wide variety of fish species, many of these being killifish. There are a total of 10 ‘killifish’ species that call Tampa Bay their home.

Meet our touch tank volunteer, Gus Larussa!

Students at Shorecrest Preparatory School were recently presented with a unique challenge — to produce a short video about the Tampa Bay watershed. Despite poor weather conditions and limited class time, they created excellent work. You can view the results and learn a few interesting facts about our local ecosystem below!

Last month kicked off the start of the manatee season. Beginning in November, manatees move into springs and estuaries like Tampa Bay where water temperatures are much more constant than in the Gulf of Mexico.

When someone says to name a pink bird what bird do you immediately think of? Flamingo? Me too. However, another wading bird deserves all the fame and glory.

Have you seen these weird looking creatures on the local beaches? Believe it or not, these organisms aren’t really crabs; they are more closely related to spiders and scorpions.

Bees and bats and birds, oh my! Pollinators are not only entertaining to observe, but they are vital to food production and ecosystem biodiversity. In Tampa Bay, visitors will find numerous species of bees, bats, and birds that drive the process of pollination.

November events at the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center.

The Discovery Center recently hosted a special group of visitors from Lighthouse of Pinellas, a local organization that works to support individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

Want to learn more about octopuses? This is the place!

Meet our touch tank and eco vessel volunteer, Aley Onderko!

Celebrate the spooky season with Tampa Bay Watch at the Discovery Center! From discovering the deep ocean to a haunted boat tour of Tampa Bay, there’s something for everyone!

Sea turtles play vital roles in maintaining the health of oceans around the world. They have been an essential part of marine ecosystems for over a 100 million years. Read all about the different sea turtles of the bay in this informative blog from Discovery Center team member Nate Perez.