Sarasota Bay Estuary Program to Host Ribbon Cutting for Living Seawall Project on Longboat Key

The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP) is excited to announce a public ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating a new living seawall at Bayfront Park on Longboat Key. The event will take place on Wednesday, October 29th, from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM at the project site, located at 4052 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, FL 34228. This event is open to all and does not require an RSVP.

The living seawall consists of approximately 300 feet of three-dimensional, modular concrete panels designed to attach to the park’s fiberglass seawall, which replaced an older concrete seawall heavily colonized by marine organisms. Oysters and other filter feeders are known to attach to concrete surfaces, but it remains unclear if newer construction materials, like vinyl and fiberglass, offer an equivalent opportunity for organisms to settle. The living seawall panels reintroduce concrete while enhancing habitat value through surface textures that mimic natural marine environments such as mangrove roots, oyster reefs, and shell piles.

Most of the shoreline in Sarasota Bay is hardened with seawalls, many transitioning from concrete to vinyl or fiberglass. “If enough local homeowners install features like this, or practice shoreline stewardship, we could collectively make a difference in the water quality and ecology of our bay,” said Dr. Dave Tomasko, SBEP Executive Director.

The event will include a brief program with remarks from local leaders, partners, and environmental experts, followed by the ceremonial ribbon cutting. Funding for the living seawall project was provided by the Infrastructure Jobs Investment Act and made possible through collaboration with the Town of Longboat Key, Cummins Cederberg, Kearns Construction, and Kind Designs. “The Town is pleased that this project came together. Public Works staff were happy to work with the team on this pilot project. Collaboration between the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, the Design Consultant (Cummins Cederberg), the manufacturer (Kind Design), the installation company (Kearns Construction), and the Town’s Green Team was instrumental to the success of the project. We all look forward to the follow-up studies and observations to determine the positive impacts this addition has made to the park and the bay,” said Charles Mopps, Public Works Director for the Town of Longboat Key.

To learn more about the Longboat Key Living Seawall Project, visit: sarasotabay.org/lbk-living-seawall