Two men sit at a table with microphones during a public meeting. A blue panel on the left reads: Steve Peene | Mike Jenkins, Midnight Pass Tidal Inlet, Sarasota County Public Meeting, Geosyntec Consultants.
Published On: December 15th, 2025

Mike Jenkins and Steve Peene Speak About Midnight Pass Tidal Inlet in Sarasota, Florida

Mike Jenkins, PhD, PE, and Steve Peene, PhD, spoke on a panel at a Sarasota County public meeting about the Midnight Pass tidal inlet in Sarasota, Florida, on December 2, 2025.

Geosyntec has been engaged by Sarasota County to provide engineering and technical support for the newly opened Midnight Pass. As part of these efforts, Mike and Steve participated in the Midnight Pass Community Event to update residents, community members, and other stakeholders on the County’s efforts to maintain the inlet.

During the meeting, Mike explained how the pass is growing and is now 17 feet deep, while Steve discussed how the inlet is helping to restore water circulation to Little Sarasota Bay for the first time in over 40 years.

Their co-panelist was Ping Wang from the University of South Florida. Noah Valenstein from Brightwater Strategies moderated the meeting.

Mike is a Senior Principal based in Florida with more than 30 years of experience focused on coastal projects. He is an expert in coastal engineering and has an extensive background in modeling dynamic coastal systems. Mike has served as the engineer-of-record for numerous coastal and estuarine projects involving inlet management, structure design, evaluation, and permitting.

Steve is a Senior Principal based in Florida with more than 30 years of experience focused on the water resources practice, including expertise in water resources analysis, coastal and estuary modeling, and watershed and stormwater management planning. He also evaluates impacts to ecological resources in surface waters and designs and implements monitoring of surface-water systems and hydrologic and water-quality restoration projects.

Midnight Pass was reopened by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in September and October 2024. Since reopening, the pass has become a popular recreation site. Practitioners are closely tracking the inlet’s behavior as barrier-island inlets can shift quickly. Additionally, the County has received a grant from the West Coast Inland Navigation District to monitor and assess the recently opened inlet.

More Information on Management of Dynamic Coastal Systems

For more information on coastal engineering, inlet management, and sediment transport, contact Mike at MJenkins@appliedtm.com or Steve at SPeene@appliedtm.com.
Learn more about Mike: Mike Jenkins
Learn more about Steve: Steve Peene