# Florida transforms farmland into 700-acre coastal refuge

2026-08-13T09:41:19+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

The Times of India reports that a former farmland in Manatee County, Florida, has been turned into the 700-acre Robinson Preserve after a $17 million restoration effort over two decades. The site, once approved for a golf-course housing project, now hosts mangroves, wetlands, and nurseries for sportfish like snook and tarpon. NOAA Fisheries supported the project, which attracts about 240,000 visitors annually and generates $3 million in yearly recreation-linked economic activity. A monitoring study found juvenile fish using the restored habitat growing as fast as in natural areas. The preserve also supports 239 construction-era jobs and $32.7 million in total economic output. The project is part of a Gulf Coast restoration initiative funded under the RESTORE Act after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

## Coverage

- timesofindia.indiatimes.com <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/florida-spent-about-17-million-transforming-degraded-farmland-near-tampa-bay-into-robinson-preserve-a-700-acre-coastal-refuge-that-now-draws-about-240000-visitors-annually/articleshow/133204272.cms>

Tags: ecotourism, environmental economics, Florida, NOAA, sportfish habitat, wetland restoration
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