8. Habitat & Species Enhancement & Restoration

Introduction

Upland, freshwater, and coastal ecosystems play a critical role in nutrient cycling across water, air, and soil systems. Changes in land use—particularly from agriculture and urban development—have significantly diminished the capacity of these natural systems to protect water quality. Habitat loss has further reduced populations of fish, shellfish, and birds, compounding the loss of nutrient processing capabilities. Today, wetlands and upland forests comprise just 37% of Sarasota County’s land area (SWFWMD 2017), while pastures, crops, and golf courses account for 25%, and urban development covers the remaining 39%. Natural streams and wetlands have been dredged and filled, altering hydrology. As a result, rainwater that once slowly percolated into the ground now flows quickly toward estuaries and bays, often carrying elevated nutrient loads. Drainage infrastructure is costly to build and maintain and offers fewer ecosystem and economic benefits than intact natural systems.

Human sources of nutrient pollution—such as atmospheric deposition, wastewater, and synthetic fertilizers—compound these challenges. Enhancing the nutrient processing and storage capacity of natural systems can help mitigate their effects. Strategies include restoring wetland and upland vegetation (see Chapter 8.1, Chapter 8.3, and Chapter 8.4), increasing animal biomass (see Chapter 8.2), and improving soil conditions (see Chapter 4.7).

Protecting, restoring, and enhancing natural lands may offer the highest return on investment for nutrient management, delivering multiple co-benefits: filtering pollutants, increasing nutrient uptake and storage, stabilizing shorelines, enhancing fish and wildlife habitat, reducing erosion, supporting groundwater recharge, and bolstering resilience to sea level rise and climate change. These actions also contribute to storm protection, higher neighborhood property values (ULI 2018), increased access to open space, and improved public health outcomes. Conserving uplands, enhancing tributary habitats, and restoring freshwater and coastal wetlands and wildlife are key management priorities of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP 2022) and the Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership (CHNEP 2025), both of which include Sarasota County Government as a partner.