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Midnight Pass, a natural inlet located between Siesta Key and Casey Key on Florida’s Gulf Coast, has a complex history marked by human intervention and natural processes. Originally a dynamic waterway that facilitated the exchange of tidal flows between the Gulf of Mexico and Little Sarasota Bay, the pass was closed in 1983 due to concerns about erosion threatening nearby properties. This closure, achieved by filling the inlet with sand, effectively cut off the bay from regular tidal flushing, leading to decades of degraded water quality and a loss of critical habitat for marine life .

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Since the closure, residents and environmental advocates have campaigned persistently to reopen Midnight Pass. These efforts have included lobbying Sarasota County officials, engaging with environmental organizations, and even wielding shovels to try and restore some water flow by hand. The Sarasota County Commission has taken steps over the years to explore legislative solutions for reopening the pass, but bureaucratic and legal hurdles have repeatedly stymied progress. Despite these setbacks, the local community’s desire to see the inlet restored has never waned .

Nature intervened dramatically in 2024, when back-to-back hurricanes—Helene and Milton—brought storm surges powerful enough to carve a new path through Midnight Pass. Helene initially opened a narrow channel, and three weeks later, Hurricane Milton’s stronger surge widened the breach, allowing boats to navigate between the bay and the gulf for the first time in four decades. Residents celebrated this unexpected gift, viewing it as a victory for the ecosystem and a testament to nature’s resilience. Despite the reopening, the inlet’s long-term viability remains uncertain, as shifting sands and tidal flows may cause it to close again without human intervention, such as dredging .

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In contrast to Midnight Pass, the Indian River Lagoon on Florida’s east coast has suffered its own set of ecological challenges. Known as one of North America’s most biologically diverse estuaries, the lagoon has faced severe issues in recent decades, including nutrient pollution, harmful algal blooms, fish kills, and the loss of seagrass beds. These problems have been exacerbated by a lack of natural water exchange, as the lagoon is largely cut off from the open ocean except for a few inlets .

Proposals to cut new inlets from the Atlantic Ocean into the lagoon have emerged as potential solutions to restore the estuary’s health. Advocates argue that new inlets could help flush out pollutants, improve water circulation, and increase oxygen levels, much like the reopening of Midnight Pass has done for Little Sarasota Bay. However, such measures come with risks. New inlets could disrupt existing ecosystems, alter salinity levels, affect local fisheries, and cause sediment buildup in unintended areas. There is also the concern that the benefits may be temporary, requiring ongoing management and potential environmental trade-offs .

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