Although seagrass recovery baywide is still on pace to achieve goals adopted by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, slowdowns or declines in seagrass growth in some parts of the bay deserve further study.

The most recent monitoring data collected by the Southwest Florida Water Management District, for the years 1994-1996, indicates that seagrass recovery baywide continues at about 350-500 acres a year. But the regrowth is not consistent in all segments of the bay. For example, Middle Tampa Bay actually lost about 240 acres of seagrasses during that 2-year period, while Lower Tampa Bay gained an additional 240 acres of seagrasses. Old Tampa Bay also lost about 150 acres of seagrasses from 1994-1996.

While the overall gains still offset the losses, bay scientists are concerned about the disparity in seagrass recovery among bay segments -- especially given the fact that water quality is believed to be sufficient to allow seagrasses to recover in all areas of the bay. They will investigate other factors that may contributing to seagrass slowdowns or declines -- such as boat propeller scarring, changes in circulation patterns in the bay, and seagrass diseases -- in a special 3-day workshop slated for August (see related article).

Recommendations expected from that workshop may allow bay managers to modify a recently approved seagrass "early warning system" to take into account factors other than water quality which may impair seagrass growth, and adjust management strategies accordingly.

Members of the TBEP's Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) developed the “early warning system” as a way to determine when seagrass or water quality declines warrant additional management actions.

The system suggested by the TAC -- and adopted by TBEP's Management Board in February -- presents a graduated response to seagrass management based on changes in the relationships between three major variables: chlorophyll, light levels and seagrass acreage.

Chlorophyll is an indicator of the amount of algae in the water. Too much algae turns the water pea-green, preventing sunlight from penetrating to the bottom. Too little light restricts the growth of underwater seagrasses, just as it does for plants growing on land. TBEP has set numerical targets for both chlorophyll and light penetration based on scientific understanding of water quality conditions necessary to restore the amount of seagrasses that were present in the bay around 1950 -- some 12,000 acres more than currently exists.

Restoring seagrasses is a key goal of Charting The Course, the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Tampa Bay. Seagrass beds provide vital habitat for both juvenile and adult fish and invertebrates, filter pollutants from the water, and stabilize bottom sediments. From 1950 to 1984, more than 40 percent of the bay's seagrasses disappeared, although improvements in water quality since then have allowed about 5,000 acres to return.

The approach developed by the TAC establishes a "green, yellow and red" matrix to guide bay managers in ensuring that this comeback continues. For example, if the chlorophyll and light penetration targets are being met and seagrass acreage is expanding, the matrix is considered "green" and current management strategies are assumed to be adequate for achieving the 12,000-acre restoration goal.

If one of the targets is not being met (such as chlorophyll levels rising or light levels declining), a "yellow" caution warning is warranted, and bay managers may wish to conduct further research to determine the nature of the problem, or consider additional management strategies.

If two or all three targets aren’t being met, then a “red alert" is declared, calling for additional management actions to reverse the negative trend.

Turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) is the most common seagrass in Tampa Bay, accounting for 42 percent of total seagrass coverage. Turtle grass can live in many substrates, from mud to sand and broken shell, and tolerate a wide range of salinities, from 10 to 48 parts per thousand. Turtle grass has long, leafy blades that usually occur in bundles of three to seven. It is used by a variety of organisms, including more than 113 species of algae which attach to its leaves.

Shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) is like a miniature version of turtle grass. For instance, the leaves of turtle grass are about ¾ of an inch wide, while those of shoal grass are less than a half-inch wide. And turtle grass may grow to 2 feet or more, while shoal grass tops out at about 15 inches. Although both types of grasses are often found together, shoal grass usually holds the distinction of being there first. For this reason, it is known as a pioneer species.

A 3-day symposium scheduled for late August will investigate a variety of factors that may impair seagrass recovery in Tampa Bay and other Southern estuaries.

The sympiosum, titled “Seagrass Management: It’s Not Just Nutrients!,” will be held August 22-24 at the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort in south St. Petersburg. In addition to examining the importance of water quality to seagrass restoration, the sessions will take a closer look at other factors, such as propeller scarring, changes in water circulation and disease, that may affect seagrass recovery.

Traditionally, limiting the amount of nitrogen and other nutrients in an estuary has been a successful way to promote the recovery of seagrasses. That is because seagrasses require clear waters that sunlight can penetrate to flourish, and excess nutrient loadings cause algae blooms that turn the water murky.

In Tampa Bay, a coordinated effort to management nitrogen inputs to the bay has resulted in the return of more than 5,000 acres of seagrasses in the last 15 years. Although seagrass beds are continuing to expand baywide, the rate of seagrass recovery has declined in some areas. In several segments of the bay, seagrass expansion appears to have leveled off, despite water quality and clarity sufficient to support continued recovery.

The discovery in Tampa Bay of the widespread presence of Labyrinthula, a primitive organism that has been associated with seagrass die-offs in other areas, has heightened interest in examining disease and other factors that may be contributing to the seagrass slowdown. The symposium will bring together local scientists and managers with national experts to discuss potential impacts and solutions.

Show your support for Tampa Bay by purchasing a Tampa Bay Estuary specialty license plate, now available at tax collector offices through the Bay Area.

The plate, featuring a dramatic leaping tarpon created by local artist and fishing guide Russ Sirmons, will cost $27 for the first year. Subsequent renewals will cost $17, with $15 of that earmarked for bay improvement projects.

The Tampa Bay Estuary Program will receive 80 percent of the revenues from the plate, projected at $150,000-$250,00 per year . The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council’s Agency on Bay Management will receive 20 percent of the revenues (or a maximum of $50,000 per year). Both agencies will use the proceeds to implement projects that directly fulfill the goals of Charting The Course, the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Tampa Bay. None of the money will be used for administrative costs.

TBEP’s revenues from the license tag will be allocated as grants to local governments, educational institutions and non-profit organizations. Proposals of up to $25,000 will be requested once a year from qualified applicants, and a selection committee composed of representatives of local governments, regulators, the scientific community and the general public will review and rank the applicants. In addition, a minimum of $10,000 a year from the license plate revenues will be used to supplement TBEP’s Bay Mini-Grants program, which provides small grants of up to $5,000 each to community groups for environmental education and restoration projects.

Pollution-control improvements mandated for Tampa Electric Company's power plants in Hillsborough County are expected to allow the region to take a giant step toward achieving adopted water quality goals for Tampa Bay.

When completed, the improvements may lower the amount of nitrogen entering the bay in air emissions by approximately 12 tons per year for the next 10 years. The Tampa Bay Estuary Program's nitrogen management strategy for the bay calls for reducing nitrogen from all sources by 17 tons per year to keep pace with continued growth and its associated increases in pollution.

In spite of the huge contribution TECO will be making toward achieving the nitrogen reduction goal, TBEP Executive Director Dick Eckenrod cautioned that, “Estuary Program partners need to renew their commitment to additional nitrogen reduction projects to ensure that the baywide goals are met with a comfortable margin of safety.”

Nitrogen oxide (NOx), which is discharged by power plants as well as cars, boats and other "mobile sources," is a major source of nitrogen to the bay. Excess nitrogen is harmful because it increases algae growth, preventing sunlight from reaching seagrasses that are vital to the bay’s health.

Estimates developed for other estuaries suggest that at least 1 ton of nitrogen reaches the water for every 100-400 tons of NOx discharged into the air. Clarifying and expanding scientific knowledge of the link between air and water quality has been a priority of the Estuary Program since early research indicated that about 27 percent of all the nitrogen entering Tampa Bay comes from the air.

Separate legal agreements reached with TECO by the state Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency require TECO to spend $1 billion to retrofit its Gannon and Big Bend power plants. Both settlements call for TECO to convert the Gannon plant to natural gas and install pollution-control scrubbers at Big Bend. The federal agreement also imposes a fine of $3.5 million and requires TECO to keep scrubbers at Big Bend operating at all times to facilitate removal of sulfur dioxide, which is implicated in human respiratory ailments.

The overall result of the retrofit projects will be a 91 to 99 percent decrease in key pollutants released from the power plants by the year 2010, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, the Hillsborough Environmental Protection Commission, DEP and others are continuing a cooperative multi-year research effort designed to more comprehensively evaluate the sources and impacts of atmospheric deposition, or air pollution, on the bay. This year marks the fourth and final year of extensive sampling of airborne nutrients in the bay airshed; those data will be analyzed in 2000 to assist in developing management strategies for addressing sources of airborne contaminants. Additionally, sampling for airborne toxics such as heavy metals and organic pesticides was initiated this year to better understand the severity and effects of heavy metals and other toxic substances on the bay’s health.

An atlas summarizing a variety of bay monitoring programs is now available on CD-Rom from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program.

Produced for TBEP by the Florida Marine Research Institute, the CD features GIS-based maps of the bay showing various layers of information, including seagrass recovery, habitat restoration sites, bathymetry, drainage basins, bird nesting colonies and manatee deaths. The maps can be enlarged, copied or otherwise manipulated using ArcView or Arc Explorer software -- which comes with the CD. They also can be used as ArcInfo files.

Instructions for installing Arc Explorer and using the CD are included.

The atlas is expected to be a valuable planning and research tool for scientists and bay managers, who can use the maps to examine specific areas in closer detail. The information presented in the maps will also be useful in evaluating and assessing the impacts of management actions on the bay’s resources.

A limited number of printed copies of the atlas also have been produced. This “coffee table” version features expanded information about the maps, including descriptive text and photos.

A video highlighting aquatic preserves and other outstanding natural areas of Tampa Bay is among the new releases available through TBEP’s Video Lending Library.

“Wild Tampa Bay” explores Cockroach Bay, Terra Ceia Bay and spoil islands near Clearwater, showcasing plants and animals of these bay habitats, as well as citizens and bay managers who are working to restore them. The half-hour video was written and narrated by Andrea Brunais and produced by Janet Kirby for Hillsborough government access television (HTV). The program aired on HTV throughout March, and is now available free of charge from TBEP. It is ideal for community groups interested in learning more about the bay, as well as middle and high school students.

“Wild Tampa Bay” was created with a $5,000 Mini-Grant from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program.

Other videos now available include:

• “The History and Culture of Emerson Point.” This 26-minute program, narrated by archaeologist Bill Burger, explores the fascinating natural and human history of the Emerson Point area of Manatee County.
• “This Florida Yard.” This 30-minute video follows homeowners as they tackle landscape renovation projects in an environmentally friendly way. Produced by the Hillsborough Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Program.
• “Backyard Conservation: One Yard At A Time.” See how 10 conservation practices commonly used by farmers can be used in your backyard in this 9-minute video produced by the National Association of Conservation Districts.

“Habitat Is Where It’s At!” is the theme of a new educational poster guide spotlighting the wild and wonderful creatures of the Tampa Bay watershed.

The poster, designed for grades 6-12, features a stunning photo mosaic of animals that inhabit a cross-section of bay habitats, from underwater seagrass meadows to upland forests and streams. On the back of this colorful poster are a series of lesson plans, activity extensions, and resources that explore the connection between healthy wildlife populations and healthy habitats.

The poster was produced by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and the University of South Florida Department of Marine Science. All lesson plans in the poster guide were created using current Florida Sunshine State Standards for science, social studies, language arts and the arts. The lessons were reviewed by environmental educators in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Manatee counties.

A special thanks go to the many talented professional photographers who donated photos for the project, and to Carolyn Fay of Marketing Works EDU for coordinating design and production of TBEP’s first educational poster.

A Mini-Grant from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program helped finance design and construction of five information kiosks at popular boat ramps in Manatee County.

The “Boaters’ and Anglers’ Environmental Service Centers” were created by Keep Manatee Beautiful, a non-profit community organization, to promote environmentally responsible boating and fishing. In addition to TBEP’s $5,000 contribution, grants for the project also were awarded by Manatee County’s Environmental Management Department, Boat/U.S. Clean Water Trust and the ManaTEEN Club.

Constructed mainly of recycled plastic, the 3-panel kiosks provide an up-to-date bulletin board of information about marine pollution prevention, manatee and seagrass protection, artificial reef locations, and Boaters’ and Anglers’ Pledge cards. Brochure racks allow boaters and anglers to obtain free resources such as TBEP’s Boater’s Guide to Tampa Bay. Free trash bags also are available at the kiosks.

“We at Keep Manatee Beautiful encourage boaters and anglers to keep our waters litter-free to preserve human and environmental health and the quality of Manatee County’s communities,” said Ingrid McClellan, the organization’s Executive Director.