Photographic Exhibit Highlights Beauty of Tampa Bay

Twenty images by local photographers depicting the beauty and diversity of Tampa Bay are featured in "Tampa Bay: 20/20," a traveling exhibit celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program.

The traveling exhibit is currently on display at the Florida headquarters for Mosaic Co. at 13380 Circa Crossing Drive on FishHawk Boulevard in Lithia. A public reception for the exhibit is scheduled at Mosaic Tuesday, Aug. 9, from 4 to 6 p.m.

The exhibit then will head to the South Shore Regional Library in Ruskin for display Sept. 1-30 and then travel to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa Oct. 10-Nov. 30.

According to a press release from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, "Tampa Bay: 20/20" features finalists from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program's 2010 Photo Contest as well as select images from local photographers.

Together, the photos show Tampa Bay's recovery over the past two decades in the form of clearer water, increased fish and wildlife populations and expanding recreational use of the bay.

The traveling exhibit is underwritten by Mosaic, one of the world's leading producers and marketers of concentrated phosphate and potash.

Mosaic is a founding member of the Tampa Bay Nitrogen Management Consortium, an alliance of public and private partners working together with the Tampa Bay Estuary Program to improve water quality in Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay was designated an "estuary of national significance" by Congress in 1990. The Tampa Bay Estuary Program came into being one year later to assist the region in developing and implementing a comprehensive plan to restore the bay. Today, water quality in most bay segments is as good as it was in the 1950s, according to the press release.

"We are delighted to be able to share this special photo exhibit, and the progress in bay restoration represented by these photos, with the residents who have supported our efforts since TBEP was created in 1991," said Holly Greening, TBEP executive director.

Educational captions complement the images and help to shed light on the progress made in restoring the bay; the diversity of plant and animal life supported by the bay; and the special connection residents feel for the region's signature waterway. For more information, contect Nanette O'Hara at 727-893-2765 or nanette@tbep.org.