/ Lost Coast Oyster Company has a floating farm at Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve in Manatee County.
Shellfish growers have long-term concerns about the wastewater pumping from the former Piney Point phosphate plant into the waters of Tampa Bay, including the potential for toxic algae and the reputation of the bay’s water quality.
The nutrient-rich water pouring from a leaking Piney Point reservoir into Tampa Bay is projected to end up in areas like Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve, where some shellfish farms live.
Lost Coast Oyster Company has been growing shellfish in lower Tampa Bay for about a year and a half, selling between 17,000 and 18,000 oysters so far.