Living Shoreline at Lassing Park

Tampa Bay Watch begins installation of Living Shoreline at Lassing Park

Tampa Bay Watch and the City of St. Petersburg are launching the living shoreline project at Lassing Park, Beach Dr. SE & 18th Ave. S. The project could help stabilize 700 feet of eroding on the shoreline!

The project will also provide hard bottom habitats for fish and wildlife resources and promote the improvement of water quality in Tampa Bay. On Earth Day, Tampa Bay Watch and 100+ volunteers installed 10 tons oyster shell reef, 100 oyster Reef Balls and 2000 salt marsh grasses at Lassing Park in St. Pete.

“Our St. Petersburg Parks & Recreation team and Tampa Bay Watch have partnered on this effort to address severe erosion and protect our precious parkland.” wrote Council Vice Chair and District 6 Representative Gina Driscoll.

The project includes the creation of oyster reefs and the installation of coastal wetland plants along the northeastern shoreline of Lassing Park.

The total project requires 100 tons of fossilized shell and 792 oyster reef balls to construct 8,384 sq. ft. of new oyster communities. A second layer of 3,184 sq. ft. of bagged fossilized shell will be added to give the oyster communities more relief.

Each of these oyster reef balls weighs about 200 pounds, and is made from marine-friendly concrete. The reef balls have holes that oyster larvae can enter and attach to the inside, generating a productive habitat while preventing erosion along the shoreline.

The Community Oyster Reed Enhancement (CORE) program, led by Tampa Bay Watch, helps restore lost Eastern Oyster habitats in the bay. The oyster acts as an engineer by creating habitats that attract other sea creatures, which then provide food sources for a variety of animals. An oyster reef also serves as a natural shoreline and a filtration system, with a single oyster filtering up to 50 gallons of water daily.

The project is ongoing and expected to be completed in Spring 2023. For more information, contact the St. Petersburg Parks & Recreation Department at 727-893-7441 or visit their website.