Aaron May

Living in Florida my entire life I have learned the importance of water and seafood conservation. I live on three peninsulas', St. Petersburg my city which is a peninsula, my neighborhood is on a peninsula, and the state of Florida is a peninsula. My life experience surrounded by the ocean has taught me so much about the marine ecosystem. Tampa bay was affected by a huge red tide event that killed millions of marine lives a few years ago that was detrimental to this area's tourism and especially to those who depend on the ocean to make a living. As a result, there are a lot of great organizations like Tampa Bay water keeper, and community actions taking place such as beach and water cleanups, and the introduction of legislation designed to better protect the marine life we are surrounded by. Also, Stone crab is a great sustainable industry in our area because you're only allowed to take the claws and have to return the crab back to the ocean, which allows the resource to be used again for years to come without killing the crabs. I hope by being a part of this challenge I can help make an impact on bringing awareness to the importance of water and seafood sustainability.