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Hillsborough Community College's Cockraoch Bay

Time Frame:  noon to 4pm

Contact Person:  Pete Rossi (813) 757-2173

Event Plan:  Boat trip and field excursion to Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve.  Visitors will get wet and use field collecting equipment on board a boat and in the shallow water to collect Tampa Bay specimens.  Guests will also learn the history of the area and its role as a protected system.

Description:

Established
Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve was established July 1, 1976 and was designated as an Outstanding Florida Water on March 1, 1979.

Location
Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve is in southern Hillsborough County and includes part of the Little Manatee River.

Size
Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve: 8,583 acres

Habitat
The submerged lands of the preserve include both hard and soft bottom habitats, seagrass beds, and oyster reefs. The shoreline is protected by mangroves, which also offer additional habitat. Natural and spoil islands that are state-owned within the preserve boundary are also managed as part of the preserve.

Ecological Importance

Rare / Endangered Species

Common Name
Scientific Name
State
Federal
Reptiles

American alligator

Alligator mississipiensis

SSC

T (s/a)

Atlantic loggerhead

Caretta caretta caretta

T

T

green sea turtle

Chelonia mydas

E

E

leatherback sea turtle

Dermochelys coriacea

E

E

Eastern indigo snake

Drymarchon corais couperi

T

T

Birds

roseate spoonbill

Ajaia ajaja

SSC

n/a

little blue heron

Egretta caerulea

SSC

n/a

snowy egret

Egretta thula

SSC

n/a

tricolor heron

Egretta tricolor

SSC

n/a

bald eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

T

T

wood stork

Mycteria americana

E

E

brown pelican

Pelecanus occidentalis

SSC

n/a

Mammals

Florida manatee

Trichechus manatus

E

E

State listings are taken from the Florida Game & Fresh Water Fish Commission or as with plants, Florida Department of Agriculture. Federal listings are taken from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. E= Endangered; T= Threatened; T (s/a)= Threatened due to similarity in appearance; SSC= Species of Special Concern; UR= Under review; n/a= information not available or no designation listed

Geomorphic Features

Islands in Cockroach Bay

Archaeological Features

Big Cockroach Mound is a notable Indian Mound. The preserve is rich in other archaeological sites.

Uses

Recreational activities available to the public include camping, picnicking, bird-watching, and fishing. Both public and private boat ramps operated by other entities provide boating access to the preserve. Hillsborough Community College Environmental Studies Center is an 18-acre educational facility located adjacent to the Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve. The preserve can also be accessed through the Little Manatee River State Park. Local paddling trails often connect to larger blueways network. State-owned islands are classified by appropriate use as recreational, educational, and/or conservation.

Management Status

Natural and spoil islands that are state-owned within the preserve boundary are also managed as part of the preserve.

As aquatic preserves in a highly urbanized area, most of the management concerns have to deal with that urbanization. They include recreational issues, such as protecting the islands from inappropriate use and vandalism and boating activities. Other impacts from urbanization include runoff and dredging, loss of habitat due to shoreline hardening and adjacent upland development, and impacts to water quality due to an increased load of nutrients. The islands in the preserves, as well as shorelines are subject to erosion and invasion by exotic species, such as Brazilian pepper, Australian pine, and melalueca.