Environmental experts and advocates on the front lines of water quality, conservation and scientific research gathered Wednesday to deliver a clear message: The Suncoast’s most pressing environmental challenges are often overlooked and deserve more attention.
The panel, organized by Suncoast Searchlight in collaboration with the Science and Environment Council, aimed to highlight the gap between what experts are seeing on the ground and what makes it into the news — and how that gap might be closed.
The event drew nearly 90 attendees Wednesday to the Bayfront Community Center at The Bay Park and coincided with both the Giving Challenge and the launch of EcoBeat, a new tool designed by the Science and Environment Council to help journalists better cover environmental issues. The online, searchable hub offers story ideas, data and access to experts. It’s part of an effort to give reporters the context and resources they often lack as newsroom staffs shrink…