Bayshore Boulevard gets new 'oyster domes'

TAMPA - Bikers, runners and stretchers are common sights along Tampa's most famous sidewalk.

But along Bayshore Boulevard Tuesday morning, passersby were craning to look over the seawall.  "You don't often see something like this going on," said neighbor Jane Daniels.

"They think they're working on the balustrade or doing something.  The ones who stop are amazed," said Sally Flynn, a neighbor and Tampa native.

Flynn watched as a large crane muscled 120-pound concrete oyster domes off a flatbed and placed them in a pipeline pattern along the Bay floor.

"Obviously, we like these nice low tides.  That's why we chose this day," said Chris Sutton, an Environmental Scientist with Tampa Bay Watch.

Sutton explained the domes will become homes for bivalves and are part of an expansive project aimed at cleaning up Hillsborough Bay. The project stretches from Ballast Point to MacDill Air Force Base.

Once the oyster balls are in the water long enough, they start to do their job. After six to eight months, oysters start to grow and after two years, the domes are completely covered.

"When fully mature, one oyster can filter up to ten gallons of water per hour. Obviously, the more oysters we have in the Bay, the cleaner the Bay waters will be," said Sutton.

Tampa Bay Watch has introduced thousands of oyster domes into the Bay. The non-profit based out Tierra Verde has permits filed for thousands more.

The domes are a welcome addition for people who love Bayshore Boulevard and everything beyond it.

"The Bayshore used to be, some days, you couldn't run out here because it smelled so bad.  You don't get that anymore," said Flynn.

Watch the photo slideshow above to see the domes being placed into Hillsborough Bay.