Our Mission

Tampa Bay Watch is dedicated to fostering a healthy Tampa Bay watershed through community-driven restoration projects, education programs, and outreach initiatives.

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Discovery Center

Explore our educational space on the St. Pete Pier, featuring interactive exhibits, daily programs, and a touch tank full of animals from the estuary!

Together, we can bring life to the bay.

It takes a community to make lasting change and protect the future of Tampa Bay’s ecosystem.

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Volunteer Calendar

Check out all of our upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Become A Member

Are you passionate about protecting our waterways? Take a stand for Tampa Bay’s future.

Our annual events are designed to educate, entertain, and strengthen the community.

Host an unforgettable occasion at our beautiful waterfront event space.

Meet the protectors of Tampa Bay

Our Crew

About

Welcome to the heart of Tampa Bay Watch: our dedicated crew. Each team member brings unique expertise and passion, collectively driving our mission to protect and restore the vibrant Tampa Bay ecosystem. Get to know the individuals behind our impactful work.

Leadership Team

Dwayne Virgint
Chief Executive Officer
Dwayne joined Tampa Bay Watch in October 2019. Dwayne earned a bachelor’s degree in advertising from the University of Bridgeport. He brings more than 25 years of broad experience in leadership, operations and management of mission-based organizations to TBW including zoos, aquariums, and museums. He served over twelve years as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and its affiliated companies in Albuquerque, NM. His goal at TBW is to ensure that generations of young leaders will continue the mission of protecting the bay and the world’s ocean. He is a beekeeper and an avid scuba diver and spends much of his spare time in local waters.
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Peter Clark
President
Peter A. Clark is the founder and president of Tampa Bay Watch. Under his watch, the organization has coordinated more than 100,000 volunteers, installed 10,000 oyster reef units and 1,200 tons of oyster shell to create more than two miles of oyster shell reef communities, planted more than 1,000,000 salt marsh grasses to restore 200 acres of coastal tidal ponds to Tampa Bay. In 2005, Tampa Bay Watch completed construction of the $4 million marine and education center in Tierra Verde, Florida. Until 1993, Mr. Clark served as Director of the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council’s Agency on Bay Management, an alliance of agencies charged with protecting the Bay. Mr. Clark has a BS in Marine Biology and over fifty professional publications on natural resource restoration, water quality and environmental planning. Mr. Clark also initiated the nomination, which ultimately led to the designation, of Tampa Bay into the EPA’s National Estuary Program. Mr. Clark holds a US Coast Guard Captains License, received the Outstanding Environmentalist of the Year award from the Florida Marine Research Institute Environmental Excellence Awards program in 1994, and the NOAA Fisheries / American Fisheries Society Nancy Foster Habitat Conservation Award in 2005.
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Leah Biery
Executive Director of Education
As Tampa Bay Watch's Executive Director of Education, Leah is responsible for ensuring that our organization provides meaningful, accessible opportunities for locals and visitors to learn about Florida’s unique ecosystems and Tampa Bay Watch’s efforts to protect and restore them. With an academic background in marine science and career experience in nonprofit management, she is passionate about combining her skills to promote environmental stewardship. Leah holds a Master of Science in Zoology from the University of British Columbia Fisheries Centre and a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from North Carolina State University, where she also earned a minor in Nonprofit Studies. She has been a collaborator on marine conservation, education, and aquaculture projects in Florida and abroad. In her free time she enjoys yoga, stand-up paddleboarding, freediving, and exploring near and far.
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Serra Herndon
Director of Habitat Restoration
Serra joined the Tampa Bay Watch team 2006 is responsible for the management and oversight of the organization’s community-based habitat restoration programs which include oyster reef building, seagrass restoration, marine debris cleanups, and living shoreline implementation. She holds a Master of Marine Affairs degree from the University of Washington and a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Oregon. In her free time, Serra enjoys traveling and exploring new places, hanging out with family and friends, and enjoying the estuaries and beaches she is working to protect.
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Cindy Reichard
Controller
Cindy Reichard became the Controller of Tampa Bay Watch in April 2022, bringing over two decades of nonprofit financial leadership experience. A St. Petersburg native and proud alumna of the University of South Florida, Cindy manages the organization’s finance and accounting operations, helping drive its mission to protect and restore Tampa Bay’s ecosystem. Prior to joining Tampa Bay Watch, Cindy held key financial roles at WMNF 88.5 FM, Hospice of Citrus County, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pinellas County. Her expertise in nonprofit finance ensures transparency and sustainability as the organization continues to grow. Outside of work, Cindy enjoys beach reads, catching St. Pete's breathtaking sunsets, and gathering creative inspiration from HGTV. Her passion for the community and love for the environment make her a natural fit for Tampa Bay Watch, where she continues to help steer the organization toward a future of growth and positive impact.
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