think + drink presents Florida’s Endangered Sawfish: Past, Present, and Future
Along Florida’s coast, some of the most extraordinary creatures are the ones most people never see.
By Edit Sarasota Staff
Along Florida’s coast, some of the most extraordinary creatures are the ones most people never see. The smalltooth sawfish—part shark, part ray, and unmistakable for the long, toothed rostrum extending from its head—once moved through the state’s coastal waters in considerable numbers. Today, it is endangered, and its future depends on a growing body of research, careful management, and the attention of communities that share its habitat.
That story comes to Sarasota on October 21, when think + drink presents “Florida’s Endangered Sawfish: Past, Present, and Future” at The Bishop. Tonya Wiley, president of Havenworth Coastal Conservation and a Palmetto resident, will lead an accessible, richly illustrated look at the species’ history and the challenges it faces now. Her presentation will include updates on Florida sawfish research—including work in Tampa Bay—along with an explanation of how protections such as the Endangered Species Act function in practice.
For a region defined by bays, estuaries, beaches, and working waterfronts, the subject is more than an ecological curiosity. Sawfish inhabit the same interconnected coastal systems that support Sarasota’s fisheries, tourism, recreation, and everyday rituals of life by the water. Understanding their decline offers a wider lesson in how human activity reshapes marine environments—and how informed residents can become part of the remedy. Wiley will discuss ongoing threats to the population and practical ways the public can assist with sawfish conservation.
The evening also promises a tactile encounter with an animal that can otherwise feel almost mythical. Attendees will be able to see a three-foot sawfish replica and handle real sawfish rostra, or “saws,” while collecting free sawfish-themed swag. Beer, wine, and concessions will be available, giving the event an appropriately convivial edge. Think + drink, a series presented by Mosaic, pairs public learning with the relaxed atmosphere of an evening out, and The Bishop’s Planetarium provides an especially apt setting for considering the waters—and wildlife—just beyond our shore.
Doors open at 6 p.m., with the presentation beginning at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 21, 2026, in the Planetarium at The Bishop, 201 10th St. W. Preregistration is required; admission is $10 for members and $15 for non-members, with discounted rates for those under 17. Seating is first come, first served.