The discovery in Tampa Bay of an exotic mussel native to Asia provided a timely focus for scientists and shippers who gathered recently in Tampa for a 2-day workshop on aquatic invasive species and the shipping industry.

The workshop explored ways to prevent unwanted plants and animals from entering the bay in ballast water taken on by a ship in one port for balance and then discharged in another. Bay managers suspect that is how the Asian green mussel, Perna viridis, hitchhiked to Tampa Bay --where it was found last summer clogging intake pipes at Tampa Electric Company's Big Bend power plant. Since then, the mussel has been found by the thousands on three of the four bridges spanning the bay. Researchers studying the mussel report that many of the mussels in the bay are three inches long and encrusted with barnacles, indicating they have been here for some time. Additionally, research shows the mussels are capable of reproduction when only an inch long, and are spawning in the bay.

When we first started planning the invasive species workshop, we didn't think we had any aquatic invasive species in the bay, said Holly Greening, Senior Scientist for the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. AFinding out about the green mussel certainly lent a sense of urgency to the workshop.

The workshop was organized by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program in partnership with a host of public and private organizations. The goal was to bring the scientific and shipping communities together to share their knowledge and concerns. Topics included an assessment of the potential threats posed to Tampa Bay and similar coastal waters by invasive species; methods to prevent or eliminate exotic species invasions; and the implications of new policies governing ballast water exchange.

Shipping activities are the primary route of introduction for aquatic invasive species in coastal waters. A new policy being implemented by the U.S. Coast Guard calls for shippers to report the origin of their ballast water and what they expect to do with it. The policy also requests that shippers voluntarily discharge their ballast in the salty open ocean, where few hitchhiking plants or animals are likely to survive.

Emerging technologies discussed at the workshop that may eventually be helpful in Asanitizing ballast water include special filtering systems using UV light, biocides and shoreside treatment stations.

Once exotic species gain a toehold, they may out compete more beneficial native species, introduce diseases to native stocks, clog water intake pipes and blanket dock and bridge pilings. The zebra mussel, an interloper from Southeast Europe that is now found in 20 Midwest and Northeast states, has caused billions of dollars in damage to pipes and water control structures.

Speakers at the Tampa workshop included representatives of the Chamber of Shipping of America, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the American Association of Port Authorities, along with scientists from a variety of universities and research institutions.

A highlight of the workshop was a talk by Dr. Henry Lee, a research scientist with the EPA in San Francisco -- which currently holds the title of the nation's Amost highly invaded estuary. Dr. Lee reported that there are presently 212 identified non-indigenous species in the San Francisco Bay-Delta, and that exotic species are now being introduced at the rate of one every 14 weeks.

Florida's warm, moist climate, isolated peninsular geography and myriad manmade or altered habitats all combine to make the state an ideal candidate for a variety of exotic, potentially harmful species to flourish. In fact, Dr. Bob Doren of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service told participants that Florida is second only to Hawaii in total number of exotic plants and animals, with more than 1,000 known invasives. Recent research conducted by several scientists indicates that non-indigenous species account for about one-quarter of all the plants, 42 percent of the reptiles, 16 percent of the fish and 23 percent of the mammals in Florida.

While shipping activities are believed to be the primary avenue of introduction for aquatic invaders, other sources include aquaculture facilities and the pet and aquarium trades. Many of Florida's most prolific and pesky intruders were released – either inadvertently or intentionally – by residents unaware of the potentially devastating consequences of their actions.

Increased global trade heightens the potential for species to cross regions, and even continents. Chamber of Shipping representative Kathy Metcalf said her industry recognizes the extent and seriousness of the problem, and supports measures to restrict the transport of species in ballast water as long as the measures are fair and equitable.

Roundtable discussions at lunch allowed workshop participants to discuss specific issues, such as viable alternatives to ballast water; how to more accurately detect and assess the presence of exotic species; and whether a non-regulatory approach to ballast water management would be effective. A somewhat surprising response from all participants was that a regulatory mechanism was needed to drive both public and private participation in ballast water management and treatment strategies.

The input provided by workshop participants will help the Estuary Program refine its monitoring program to more rapidly detect potentially harmful aquatic invasives, and develop policies to minimize the risks posed by such species.

The workshop was co-sponsored by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Tampa Port Authority, Gulf of Mexico Program, Louisiana and Florida Sea Grant Programs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Geological Survey, The Florida Aquarium, National Marine Fisheries Service, Florida Marine Research Institute, Gee and Jenson, and URS Greiner Woodward Clyde.

The Tampa Bay Estuary license plate, featuring a dramatic leaping tarpon, is expected to be available at tax collector offices throughout the state by the end of February.

The initial cost of the tag will be $27, which includes a $10 fee for the tag itself. Subsequent renewals will cost $17, with $15 of that earmarked for bay improvement projects. The specialty tag can be purchased by visiting your local tax collector office, or including a note and payment with your mail renewal form indicating you wish to purchase the Tampa Bay Estuary license plate.

Approval of the striking design for the plate was granted by the Governor and Cabinet in November, clearing the way for production of the tag. Many thanks again to Sen. Jim Sebesta and Rep. Bob Henriquez for sponsoring the license tag legislation.

Scientists monitoring the bay's health report their findings in TBEP's new Baywide Environmental Monitoring Report (BEMR), available free to the public.

Monitoring results contained in the report cover the years 1993-1998 and encompass a wide variety of programs, from water and sediment quality to the status of sea turtles, shorebirds and manatees. Overall, the report indicates continued progress in achieving TBEP goals for bay improvement and protection.

The BEMR is produced every few years to summarize existing bay monitoring programs coordinated by the Estuary Program and its partners.

Among the key findings in the BEMR:

• The large water quality improvements realized in the early to mid-1980s have been maintained throughout the 1990s. All segments of Tampa Bay have shown long-term improvements in chlorophyll a, with associated improvements in water clarity.
• The baseline conditions for trace metal contaminants in Tampa Bay suggest that approximately 6% (24 square miles) of bay sediments are of Amarginal quality, while about 1% (4 square miles) are Asubnominal. Hillsborough Bay shows the greatest degradation, with approximately 33% (13 square miles) of Amarginal quality and almost 8% of Asubnominal quality.
• Mapping indicates net increases in seagrass coverage at a rate of about 2% per year between 1988 and 1994. However, trends in seagrass bed density appear to be declining in some areas during this same period.
• Wintertime manatee populations in Tampa Bay have increased from 60 in 1983 to 190 in 1994, while summertime manatee populations have increased from 70 to 100 animals for that same period.
• The Tampa Bay area is home to approximately 28 species of colonial waterbirds, numbering more than 200,000 individuals. Collectively, Tampa Bay's waterbird population is among the state's largest. Populations of most coastal species are increasing, while many species that forage in freshwater wetlands are declining.

Woodpeckers, screech owls and other winged residents of the Upper Hillsborough River received snug new homes thanks to 50 students from Dowdell Middle Magnet School in Tampa.

Led by teacher Patricia Yarnot, the students constructed wooden nestboxes as part of a Tampa Bay Estuary Program mini-grant awarded to the Audubon Resource Center at Lettuce Lake Park -- the AARC at the Park. ARC Director Ged Caddick coordinated the project, involving two groups of 25 students each from Dowdell's Environmental Studies and Technology Program.

Before embarking on their construction project, the students first learned about the role that cavity-nesting birds play in the ecosystem, and how loss of habitat has affected many cavity-nesting species. The students also learned that artificial nestboxes can help take the place of the large, mature trees these birds prefer as nest sites.

Then, working in teams of five or six, the students assembled their own nestbox and installed it along the river. Several sizes of nestboxes were constructed to suit a variety of birds, from tiny wrens to hefty wood ducks.

Finally, the students took a memorable 2-hour canoe trip down the river, from Morris Bridge Park to Trout Creek Park, where they observed firsthand the beautiful wildlife they are helping to protect. Most of the students had never paddled a canoe before, and they were thrilled -- especially at the sight of a real live alligator. Other highlights of the trip included large gatherings of white ibis busily probing the river shallows for dinner, an immature black-crowned night heron barely visible on a cypress limb, various red-bellied turtles sunning themselves on fallen trees in the river, and Abuzzard junction, a favorite roosting spot for vutures near Nature's Classroom.

The Tampa Bay Estuary Program joined the Hillsborough Water Issues Coalition and the League of Women Voters in sponsoring an informative public forum in November called ALinking Land and Water: Making The Connection in the New Millenium.

The free forum, held at The Florida Aquarium, was moderated by WFLA-TV anchor Bob Hite and featured an introduction to the issue of land and water linkage by Terry Johnson, strategic planning manager for the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Panelists included Rhea Law, chair of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce; Scott Paine, founder and director of the Institute for Community Research at the University of Tampa; and John Lambie, executive director of the Florida House Institute for Sustainable Development.

The panelists each presented a brief summary of their views on the importance and/or pitfalls associated with linking land use to available water supplies. The panelists then answered questions from the audience, many of which addressed potential revisions to Florida's Growth Management Act. Key topics discussed included the need for land developers to have certainty in the permitting process; property rights versus public benefit; and the need for local growth plans to be consistent with water management and supply plans.

TBEP Executive Director Dick Eckenrod was recently honored by Sierra Club chapters in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties for his leadership in coordinating the effective Estuary Program partnership to restore and protect Tampa Bay.

The newest element of the Tampa Bay Manatee Watch program – a 21-foot specially outfitted pontoon boat – was launched in November by Tampa BayWatch.

The manatee-friendly boat will carry a crew of trained volunteers who will answer boaters' questions about manatees and provide free kits that contain safe boating tools such as polarized sunglasses, navigational maps and emergency response information.

The Manatee Watch program was created by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program's Manatee Awareness Coalition (MAC) as an experimental alternative to increased regulation of boating speeds in the bay. The program seeks to gain voluntary boater compliance with recommended slow-speed zones in the bay. These zones are generally shallow seagrass flats where manatees feed and rest.

Administered by Tampa BayWatch, the Manatee Watch program recruits and trains volunteers to provide information to boaters at area boat ramps, in waterfront neighborhoods, and on the water. Funding for the program has been provided by TBEP and the Tampa Port Authority, with significant contributions from Save The Manatee Club, Florida Power Corporation, Tampa Electric Company, Lowry Park Zoo and other MAC members. Additionally, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is funding a companion research project to assess boater behavior in the bay and evaluate the effectiveness of regulatory versus voluntary speed zones. The research program also utilizes trained volunteers.

TBEP's website has added or plans to add several new features to ensure we are providing timely, comprehensive information of value to the bay community.

Already available are a Calendar of Events that allows users to post information about their organization's meeting, shoreline cleanup or special event. Also available is a free listserve maintained by TBEP to keep its partners informed about important bay-related news, grant opportunities, upcoming meetings and other items of interest. To sign up for the e-mail list, go to the Online Community Center from our website home page and follow the instructions for joining the list.

A new feature is the "Teacher's Corner" section, which provides online resources for teachers, such as information about the Tampa Bay Beach Buddies shoreline cleanup program for classrooms. Links to other teaching aids also are provided. Visit this site to find out how to order TBEP's new educational poster featuring animals of Tampa Bay!

Coming soon will be a companion website that will display technical data compiled by TBEP and its partners, including GIS maps, downloadable files, and entire data sets. This site will be accessible directly from our main website, but is designed specifically for the scientist or anyone who wants more in-depth information about research in Tampa Bay.