Cleansing the waters of the Gulf of Mexico’s Tampa Bay using northern quahog clams might seem a little “out there”, but “out there” has been the trademark of Ed Chiles, the founder of The Chiles Group. Photo: The Chiles Group.
by Ed Lallo/Gulf Seafood News Editor
Cleansing the waters of the Gulf of Mexico’s Tampa Bay using northern quahog (Mercenaria mercenaria) clams to combat Florida Red Tide might seem a little “out there”, but “out there” has been the trademark of the founder of a sustainable restaurant group on a seven-mile Florida island situated off the coast of Manatee County.
The enterprise is the brainchild of Ed Chiles, son of former Florida Senator and Governor Lawton Chiles. Chiles, owner and president of The Chiles Group of Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key. Chiles conceived the idea for the brood-stock restoration project using clams to continuously cleanses the water of the bay. It was born out of the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Authority’s project to create a living shoreline destined to eventually include finger docks, reef balls and an educational kiosk.
According to Gulf Seafood Foundation President Jim Gossen(l), Ed Chiles has an attitude and enthusiasm that can only be described as contagious The two talk on the beach by his Beach House restaurant.. Photo: Ed Lallo/Lallo Photography
“Clams are a natural for cleansing the waters of Tampa Bay because they filter out chemicals, pathogens and bacteria responsible for Red Tide,” Chiles told Gulf Seafood News at his Mar Vista restaurant on Anna Maria Island. “Our Florida Red Tide is the result of harmful algal blooms known as Karenia brevis, it is one of many different species of the algae found in the world’s oceans.”
“Ed Chiles has an attitude and enthusiasm that can only be described as contagious. He knows the importance of taking action now if we are to leave our environment and natural resources in better condition than he received them.” said Gulf Seafood Foundation president Jim Gossen. “The Chiles Group radiates stewardship throughout its entire organization.”
According to Robert Baugh, Chief Operating Officer of The Chiles Group, his boss is a big picture type of guy, willing to delegate the responsibility of his project ideas to others.
Baugh Leads Project
Ed Chiles turned to Robert Baugh, a native Floridian, to lead the clam reclamation efforts. “This original project targeted replanting the clams on approved parcels that have been targeted for sea grass revitalization and could be easily accessed for environmental studies and observation,” he said. Photo: Ed Lallo/Lallo Photography
“Last year we had a horrible Red Tide that reached epic proportion,” said Baugh sitting in his Gulf beachside office. “Ed’s original idea was to make clam aquaculture the engine to reestablish the clam fishery in Tampa Bay and promote the area as once again being a nursery for both clams and oysters. This original project targeted replanting the clams on approved parcels that were targeted for sea grass revitalization and could be easily accessed for environmental studies and observation.”
Volunteers creating a living shoreline using clams to continuously cleanse the water of the bay. The concept has become part of Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency’s project destined to eventually include finger docks, reef balls and an educational kiosk. Photo: The Chiles Group
As the Red Tide continued in the bay for month after month after month, a number of area clammers were unable to harvest for market. Clams continued to grow beyond the size suitable for restaurant consumption.
Chiles turned to Baugh, a native Floridian, to lead the clam reclamation efforts.
“I dabble as clammer in my spare time, so I became the designated team member on the project,” Baugh explained. “I was not only the representative for The Chiles Group, I also became the driver that loaded several hundred baskets of clams on Pine Island with the help of my son, ferried them back to Bradenton pier and helped broadcasting them into the water.”
While attending culinary school in South Carolina, Baugh connected with friends in McClellanville, an historic fishing village known for shrimp, oysters, clams, crabs and fish. On weekends he started helping out on a boat and getting out on the water clamming. Later he obtained a lease and clammed on his own.
Fifteen years later he continues to be a clammer, as well as holding a commercial fisherman license and aquaculture certificate. Familiar with Florida’s numerous unused clam and oyster leases, he led efforts to obtain rights to broadcast large, hearty clams over the area close to the Bradenton pier.
Clammer Carter Davis holds his son Able on the docks by his Pine Island, FL home. The reclamation project is a godsend for him. The Red Tide last year severely damaged his ability to harvest. Photo: Ed Lallo/Lallo Photography
“These clams are so big that they virtually have no predators,” said Pine Island clammer Carter Davis, who provided the brood-stock. “A small clam filters between 5-10 gallons of water a day. These lager clams, often called chowders, filter up to 20-gallons each day. Chowder clams can live up to 30-years and will release millions of eggs into the waters off Bradenton for the their rest life.”
Baugh also enlisted the aid of the Gulf Shellfish Institute on the transfer project to ensure refrigeration on the truck was set to proper specifications. Clams were pulled out and put back in the water the same day.
“As a four-year old growing up in Gainesville, my first memory of a clam was from Cedar Key,” Baugh reminisced. “Today Cedar Key is ideal for clammers, but more than 100 years ago Tampa Bay was also covered with clam and oyster beds. In the 1940’s and 50’s the shell bottom of those beds were mined for roads. That is when our water quality started to go south. This is the first step in the long road of reducing Red Tide and turning around the quality of our water.”
Red Tide in Gulf for Hundreds of Years
Historically it has been documented that Florida Red Tide has been occurring in the Gulf for hundreds of years. Baugh feels it is no coincident that the spike in frequency and infected area grows each time the Corp of Engineers open the floodgates of the St Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers, releasing large quantities of synthetic and organic fertilizers, decomposed crop residues and agricultural waste products into both the Gulf and Atlantic.
Baugh is convinced the time is right for this program. “What we are trying to do is take this opportunity to get our water clean, as well access unused shellfish leases. Only a few commercial fishermen use the several hundred state-owned leases available in this region.”
The current clam restoration program terminates the end of April. It has had a great volunteer response to help in broadcasting the clams along the Bradenton pier. Photo: Rusty Chinnis
The current clam restoration program terminates the end of April. Led by the efforts of both Sarasota and Tampa Bay Watch, it has had a great volunteer response to help in broadcasting the clams along Bradenton pier. Teachers and their students have joined with local state representative Will Robinson and the Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie in the relocation project. Plans are in the works to expand the program across the state, and hopefully the Gulf of Mexico.
“It has definitely been a mad scramble,” said The Chiles Group COO. “We are picking up and placing down more than 125 bushels at a time, which is more than 12,000 lbs worth of clams.”
“The reclamation project has been a godsend,” said Davis, sitting on the dock of his island home holding his son Able. “The Red Tide last year severely damaged my ability to harvest. The large clams sitting on the bottom of the bay are more difficult to liquidate on the local live wholesale market.”
According to Baugh, during peak season 90-percent of his business as a restaurateur comes from tourists, “When the tourists don’t show the fishermen that depend upon us as a source of income have to go other places.”
“Because of Red Tide, fishermen like Carter Davis had hundreds of thousands of clams continuing to grow on the bottom,” he explained. “We had an opportunity to not only help our environment and our business, but also put money into the pocket of a struggling Gulf fisherman. The reclamation project will also ensure the continued growth of natural fisheries, as well as the full utilization of thousands of acres of submerged land leases that are ideal habitat for bivalves.”
Nice article Ed but you left out the group Sarasota Bay Watch who initiated clam restoration in the area and helped coordinate and supply the clams.
Rusty, thanks for pointing this out. I went back to my edits and found I accidentally deleted the mention. I have added to the article.