Above the most recent Google map of "Beer Can Island" at the north tip of Longboat Key. (It may be 2008.)
Next is a more recent 2009 Google Earth map.
Below are June 2009 photos of the same area. Note the expanding northwest point (offshore from the pines)
....and the growing spit of land under/next to the bridge.
The channel was dredged in the past few years. Mother Nature is taking over and rearranging the sand.