Suncoast Waterkeeper

Suncoast Waterkeeper is a left-of-center environmentalist group that focuses specifically on water quality in Florida’s Suncoast region. 1 It conducts litigation, 2 water health monitoring programs, 3 and public advocacy efforts. 4 5 Suncoast Waterkeeper is a client of the Everglades Law Center, 6 and has worked with groups including the Center for Biological Diversity and Our Children’s Earth Foundation in litigation efforts. 7

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Ideological Alignment: Left of Center
Issue Areas: Environmental Policy
Website: www.suncoastwaterkeeper.org
Formation:

2014

Executive Director:

Abbey Tyrna

Location: Sarasota, FL View on map
Tax ID: 30-0753993
Most Recent Filing: 2025
Budget (2025): Assets: $663,834 Revenue: $780,078 Expenses: $437,814

Contents

    Litigation

    Hog Creek

    In fall 2025, Suncoast Waterkeeper issued an intent to sue document to the U.S. Recycling Company for letting excess runoff flow from its recycling plant into Hog Creek. Suncoast Waterkeeper claimed that the runoff was in violation of the Clean Water Act and was causing elevated levels of aluminum and iron in Hog Creek and Sarasota Bay. Suncoast Waterkeeper stated that they sent an intent to sue document to pressure the company into fixing the issue without having to go to court. 8

    Piney Point

    In May 2021, Suncoast Waterkeeper brought a suit against the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, HRK Holdings, and the Manatee County Port Authority for dumping 480 million gallons of wastewater from Piney Point into the Tampa Bay. The suit claimed that dumping the wastewater violated the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Endangered Species Act. Suncoast Waterkeeper brought on this suit in conjunction with the Center for Biological Diversity, Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, ManaSota-88, and the Our Children’s Earth Foundation, with legal representation coming from the law offices of Charles M. Tebbutt. 9

    On July 8, 2024, the groups reached a settlement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection establishing enforceable limits on how much discharge may be put into the Tampa Bay and building out a Clean Water Act permit which put more rigorous oversights on the Piney Point facility. The company that owned the Piney Point facility, HRK Holdings, filed for bankruptcy after a toxic spill in 2021. 7

    Manatee County

    In September 2021, Suncoast Waterkeeper sent an intent to sue document to Manatee County after the county notified the public that it intended to discharge radioactive waste into a deep well underground. This intent to sue was brought on by many of the same groups that had sued the Piney Point facility in April 2021, including the Center for Biological Diversity, Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, and the Our Children’s Earth Foundation. The conservation groups claimed that doing these injections threatened to pollute the ground water in the area and could be potentially harmful to the citizens in the county. 10

    Advocacy

    In 2026, Suncoast Keeper opposed Manatee County building a cruise ship port on Terra Ceia Island near Rattlesnake Key. The group started an online petition to oppose the project, claiming that it would be an ecological disaster for the area.  The company building the port, Slip Knott LLC, purchased Rattlesnake Key in December 2025, and estimated that the new port would bring about 31,000 jobs to the area and approximately $1.6 billion in earnings for locals. 4

    In 2023, Suncoast Waterkeeper opposed Manatee County reducing its wetland buffer zone requirements for developers. County officials who supported the project said they supported it because it “limits government regulations and restores property rights for landowners.” 5 Suncoast Waterkeeper started an online petition to oppose the project, stating that reducing these buffer zones could increase flooding and increase harmful pollutants present in waterways. 5

    Programs

    Suncoast Waterkeeper runs water monitoring programs, public education programs, and action programs. 1

    Suncoast Waterkeeper’s monitor programs include checking if waters are safe for swimming, nitrogen level monitoring, and stormwater and sewage runoff monitoring. It also has mangrove rangers who map mangroves each year, collecting data on growth, recession, and general health of mangrove ecosystems. It also runs the Healthy Pond Collaborative, which installs plants and monitors chemical levels in stormwater ponds. 3

    Public education programs include publishing news stories related to water health in Florida’s Suncoast region and summaries of public efforts that favored environmental conservation efforts. 11

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2025 $663,834 $780,078 $437,814 View
    2024 $321,570 $296,382 $299,758 View
    2023 $274,946 $325,813 $325,138 View
    2022 $274,271 $249,958 $151,555 View
    2021 $175,870 $157,532 $185,812 View

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 6

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Abbey TyrnaEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR$86,130

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $1,469,950
    • Number of Grants: 51
    • Number of Funders: 24

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $400,0002025 Charles and Margery Barancik FoundationTo support and expand environmental monitoring of water quality across the region and mangrove health in vulnerable areas
    $175,0002023 Charles and Margery Barancik FoundationTo build capacity, map Sarasota Bay mangroves and increase communication efforts
    $100,0002025 The Henry E Becker and Pauline S Becker Charitable FoundationGENERAL
    $100,0002024 The Henry E Becker and Pauline S Becker Charitable FoundationGENERAL
    $42,4042022 The Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic TrustGeneral & Matching
    $37,0452025 William G. and Marie Selby FoundationToward an electric truck to transport staff for water quality testing
    $37,0452025 Mote Scientific Foundation Inc PrattGENERAL
    $37,0452025 William G. and Marie Selby Foundationtowards purchase of an electric truck for monitoring waterways in Sarasota and Manatee counties
    $35,5612023 The Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic TrustGeneral & Matching
    $31,5262024 Community Foundation of Sarasota CountyGENERAL SUPPORT
    $30,0022022 Community Foundation of Sarasota CountyGeneral Support
    $30,0002022 Mote Scientific Foundation Inc PrattGENERAL
    $30,0002021 Mote Scientific Foundation Inc PrattGENERAL
    $25,0002025 Gulf Coast Community FoundationENVIRONMENT
    $25,0002023 William G and Marie Selby Foundation IncORGANIZATIONAL GRANTS
    $25,0002023 William G. and Marie Selby FoundationTowards the purchase of a patrol boat to identify environmental problems, engage the community, and devise appropriate solutions for protecting water quality
    $25,0002022 GiveWell Community FoundationExecutive Director Match/Donation
    $20,0002022 GiveWell Community FoundationExecutive Director Match/Donation
    $20,0002021 Manatee Community Foundation IncPROGRAM SUPPORT
    $19,3702020 Community Foundation of Sarasota CountyGeneral Support
    $17,0342024 Mote Scientific Foundation Inc PrattGENERAL
    $15,0002023 Manatee Community Foundation IncPROGRAM SUPPORT
    $15,0002023 Community Foundation of Sarasota CountyPROGRAM SUPPORT
    $12,7732024 The Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic TrustGeneral & Matching
    $10,5002025 Donor Advised Charitable Giving, Inc.ENVIRONMENTAL AND ANIMALS

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    Contact Us

    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “About Us.” Suncoast Waterkeeper. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://www.suncoastwaterkeeper.org/about_us. 
    2. “Water Wins .” Suncoast Waterkeeper. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://www.suncoastwaterkeeper.org/water_wins. 
    3. “Monitoring.” Suncoast Waterkeeper. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://www.suncoastwaterkeeper.org/monitor. 
    4. DeLa, Jim. “Opposition to Mega Cruise Ship Port in Manatee County Gaining Momentum.” https://www.mysuncoast.com, January 22, 2026. https://www.mysuncoast.com/2026/01/23/opposition-mega-cruise-ship-port-manatee-county-gaining-momentum/. 
    5. Callihan, Ryan, and Ryan Ballogg. “Manatee County Votes to Cut Local Wetland Protections in Favor of Developer Interests.” Bradenton Herald, October 9, 2023. https://www.bradenton.com/news/local/article280123004.html. 
    6. “Our Impact.” Everglades Law Center. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://evergladeslaw.org/about/impact/. 
    7. “Piney Point Litigation.” Suncoast Waterkeeper. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://www.suncoastwaterkeeper.org/piney_point_litigation. 
    8. Newborn, Steve. “An Environmental Group Is Suing Over Sarasota Bay Pollution.” WUSF, October 14, 2025. https://www.wusf.org/environment/2025-10-14/environmental-group-suing-sarasota-bay-pollution. 
    9. “Lawsuit Launched Against Florida Department of Environmental Protection, HRK Holdings, Manatee County Port Authority Over Piney Point Disaster.” Center for Biological Diversity, May 18, 2021. https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/lawsuit-launched-against-florida-department-of-environmental-protection-hrk-holdings-manatee-county-port-authority-over-piney-point-disaster-2021-05-17/. 
    10. “Lawsuit Launched Against Manatee County Over Proposal to Inject Toxic Waste from Piney Point Phosphogypsum Stack into Aquifer.” Center for Biological Diversity, September 29, 2021. https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/lawsuit-launched-against-manatee-county-over-proposal-to-inject-toxic-waste-from-piney-point-phosphogypsum-stack-into-aquifer-2021-09-29/. 
    11. “Inform.” Suncoast Waterkeeper. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://www.suncoastwaterkeeper.org/inform.