Port Manatee advances environmental excellence

Port Manatee is a major contributor to the economic well-being of Manatee and Sarasota counties and beyond, generating $2.3-plus billion in annual impact while supporting more than 24,000 jobs. Moreover, the bustling seaport also serves as an award-winning advancer of the local environment.

From its thriving bird sanctuary and flourishing seagrass habitat to low-emissions rail locomotives and energy-efficient lighting, Port Manatee is a leader in environmental excellence.

The 60-acre manmade island known as Manbirtee Key, formed by Port Manatee in partnership with Audubon Florida and Gulfstream Natural Gas System LLC from materials generated in the establishment of the port channel, hosts more than 120 species of nesting and feeding birds. Ongoing removal of invasive plants and predatory animals helps ensure a safe haven for adult birds and their hatchlings.

Since its formation more than a decade ago, Manbirtee Key has combined with Port Manatee’s seagrass program to demonstrate how ports and nature can successfully coexist, and the efforts have been recognized with a plethora of top awards, from such entities as the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, American Association of Port Authorities and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The seagrass project, which also dates to early this century, supports native marine species in more than 20 acres of seagrass meadows.

Additional endeavors exemplifying Port Manatee’s commitment to protection and enhancement of Tampa Bay’s pristine ecosystem include maintaining of a 400-acre area where boat engines are not allowed to run, including a portion around Manbirtee Key that is restricted to craft of those who are part of the port’s Zone Watch program. These efforts protect sensitive shallow-water habitats from future damage by boat propellers.

In fact, Port Manatee and its tenants are unwaveringly dedicated to going above and beyond governmental compliance requirements in their proactive sustainability practices, such as a constantly evolving plan to greatly minimize risks of potential stormwater-related pollution.

Undertakings aimed at keeping the air clean include the deployment of environmentally friendly diesel-electric locomotives on the port’s short-line railroad, yielding reductions of as much as 90 percent in emissions of nitrous oxide and particulate matter.

Meanwhile, a 90-acre conservation easement in the southern part of Port Manatee’s property helps protect against excessive future development in the port area.

Environmentally conscious measures recently enacted by Port Manatee’s operations and maintenance department are highlighted by installation of energy-efficient LED lighting in numerous warehouse facilities and the painting white of warehouse roofs, which also cuts energy consumption.

Whether in long-range programs or day-to-day practices, Port Manatee and its tenants take to heart the Manatee County Port Authority mission statement directive calling for the port to conduct maritime-related activities in a manner that is both profitable and environmentally responsible. And we look forward together to ensuring that this lofty commitment continues to press onward, to the benefit of generations to come.

This story was originally published December 11, 2016 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Port Manatee advances environmental excellence."