From left, Senior Environmental Manager with Sea & Shoreline Jessica Mailliez, Marie Bienkowski, Jill-Ann Beary and Save Crystal River founder Lisa Moore.
Special to the Chronicle
The disappearing islands of Kings Bay were on display Feb. 17 at the Florida Capitol as Save Crystal River marked Florida Wildlife Corridor Day with a renewed call for state funding, according to a press release marking the event.
The Crystal River nonprofit used aerial photos and before-and-after imagery to show how Banana Island, Buzzard Island and Wardens Key have steadily shrunk since the 1970s. According to the group, more than 125 acres of salt marsh and shoreline have been lost over the past 80 years.
Those islands serve as a buffer against storm surge and flooding and help filter sediment before it reaches the bay’s spring vents. When they erode, sediment can cloud the water, bury eelgrass and threaten prior restoration gains.
Over the past two decades, erosion has accelerated, particularly following recent hurricane seasons, organization leaders said.
An emblem signifying the Florida Wildlife Corridor is shown on the table of Save Crystal River’s display in Tallahassee at the Florida Wildlife Corridor Day.
Special to the Chronicle
Save Crystal River pointed to more than a decade of restoration work in Kings Bay supported by the state, including the removal of more than 700 million pounds of muck and algae, the reopening of more than 850 spring vents and the restoration of more than 120 acres of eelgrass. The group also highlighted the revitalization of the second-magnitude spring at Hunter Springs Park in 2025.
“For me, this work is personal,” said Lisa Moore, founder and president of Save Crystal River. “Fifty years ago, you could ski all the way around Parker Island. Today, that passage no longer exists, and what is washing off that island is undoing years of hard work restoring our springs.”
Save Crystal River Founder Lisa Moore, left, and Citrus County Commissioner Rebecca Bays pictured during Florida Wildlife Corridor Day Feb. 17 in Tallahassee.
Special to the Chronicle
Moore said Parker Island was selected as the first phase of a broader resiliency strategy aimed at reopening historic tidal channels, installing wave breaks and rebuilding marsh habitat to stabilize shorelines and protect restored springs.
Leaders said continued state investment will be critical as stronger storms and rising seas put additional pressure on Florida’s coastal communities.