The 2026 Season Lecture Series at the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium continues April 8th with The Future of Florida’s Coasts: What We Can Learn from the History of Tampa Bay, by Dr. Evan Bennett from Florida Atlantic University.
The presentation will be held on Wednesday, April 8 at 5:30pm at the Museum, located at 3075 Sanibel Captiva Road, Sanibel.
From pollution to development to cultural loss, challenges loom for those who live on Florida’s coasts. The history of Tampa Bay provides a great model for how Floridians can move forward. Seemingly doomed both ecologically and culturally by the 1970s, Tampa Bay has rebounded and today is a healthy estuary and site of vibrant cultural developments.
This talk illuminates that story, and the efforts of determined people and organizations who committed to saving the bay and its sustainability as a place and resource for all.
Dr. Bennett is a Professor of History at Florida Atlantic University. His most recent book is Tampa Bay: The Story of an Estuary and Its People (University Press of Florida, 2024). It won the Silver Medal in Florida Nonfiction from the Florida Book Awards and the Stetson Kennedy Prize from the Florida Historical Society.
Cost to attend the lecture is $10 per person and is free for Museum Members. Registration is required and includes choice of wine, beer, non-alcoholic beverage, and light snacks. Register HERE where you can also view a free archive of previously recorded online lectures.