Aided by laws requiring construction of better sewage treatment facilities, treatment of stormwater runoff and restrictions on dredging and filling, water quality in Tampa Bay has improved dramatically in the last 30 years. However, excess nitrogen contributions and toxic contaminants continue to be key concerns. Goals for improving water and sediment quality include:

• Preventing increases in the amount of nitrogen reaching the bay to provide water quality sufficient to recover 10,976 acres of seagrass. To accomplish this, local governments and industries will need to reduce their future nitrogen contributions to the bay by about 7% by the year 2010, or approximately 17 tons per year.
• Reducing the amount of toxic pollutants in bay sediments and protecting relatively clean areas of the bay from being degraded by contaminants
• Understanding and addressing the sources and impacts of air pollution on the bay’s water quality.
• Reducing bacterial contamination now present in some portions of the bay to levels safe for swimming and shellfish harvesting

Water quality improvements are aiding the return of seagrasses to the bay, but other habitats - particularly tidal streams and marshes critical to fish and wildlife -will require a concerted, long-term restoration effort. Goals for improving bay habitats include:

• "Restoring the balance" of coastal wetland habitats in Tampa Bay by restoring at least 100 acres of low-salinity tidal marsh every five years.
• Preserving and enhancing the bay’s 18,800 acres of existing mangrove/salt marsh habitats.
• Establishing and maintaining adequate freshwater flows to Tampa Bay and its tributaries
• Recovering an additional 10,976 acres of seagrass over 2004 levels, while preserving the bay’s existing grass beds and reducing propeller scarring of seagrasses

Charting The Course seeks to increase the number, diversity and health of the bay's fish and wildlife populations by improving the areas in which they live, feed and reproduce. Restoring water quality and habitats will be critical to this effort. Additional goals to bolster fish and wildlife in the bay include:

• Improving on-the-water enforcement of fishing and environmental regulations
• Preserving the abundance and diversity of Tampa Bay’s wildlife.
• Establishing and enforcing manatee protection zones
• Restoring bay scallop populations to support recreational harvests

Maintenance of the bay's network of navigation channels is important to both commercial maritime industries and recreational interests. But a more coordinated approach to dredging is needed to protect the bay from the potentially damaging effects of such activities and address long-term disposal needs. The primary goal for dredging and dredged material management is:

• Implementing a long-range dredging plan for the bay that will minimize environmental impacts and maximize beneficial uses of the dredged material

The oil spill that occurred in Tampa Bay in August 1993 spotlighted the need for preventive measures to avoid future spills of oil or hazardous materials. Additional actions are needed to prevent further spills, and to ensure rapid cleanup of any spills that do occur. Goals for spill prevention and response include:

• Installing a state-of-the-art vessel traffic system to improve coordination of ship movements along the bay's narrow shipping channel
• Securing a permanent funding source for the Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS) of navigational information.

Interested, informed citizens are the bay’s best hope for the future. The Tampa Bay Estuary Program is committed to:

• Creating an engaged constituency of citizens who understand both the environmental and economic value of Tampa Bay, and actively participate in restoring and protecting it.

Invasive plants and animals can cause significant harm to native habitats and species in the Tampa Bay ecosystem. A long list of invasive plants – including Brazilian pepper, melaleuca and cogon grass – has degraded coastal wetland habitats. Additionally, the discovery of the invasive Asian green mussel in bay waters in 1999 has lent added urgency to efforts to understand and mitigate the consequences of bio-invasions, as well as prevent introductions. Goals to address impacts from invasive species include:

• Increasing scientific understanding and public awareness of the bay’s vulnerability to marine bio-invasions
• Creating an early warning system, utilizing bay managers and citizens, to assist in preventing future bio-invasions

Ensuring appropriate use of publicly owned lands is emerging as a critical issue as growth continues to soar in the Tampa Bay area. The primary goal for addressing public access to the bay is to:

• Reduce human and pet waste to ensure the continued viability of traditional bay recreation areas.