Local governments, agencies, industries, and citizen volunteers who make up the Tampa Bay Estuary Program recently received some well-deserved kudos from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and The Conservation Fund for their efforts to restore and protect Tampa Bay. (See accompanying article.) The Environmental Merit Award from EPA acknowledged the outstanding environmental stewardship of the Program while the CF Industries National Watershed Award, administered through The Conservation Fund, recognized our effective, non-regulatory approach to improving water quality.

As one who has had the privilege of working with the Estuary Program’s many partners and volunteers, I extend my heartfelt thanks for your help in making the partnership a success. The ground-breaking Interlocal Agreement adopted three years ago provides the skeletal framework through which the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan is being implemented. But it’s only through the muscle and brain power of the Program’s partners that progress toward bay restoration goals is sustained. The impressive display of regional cooperation among local governments and diverse community and private interests was a crucial factor in the eyes of award program judges.

The Program’s achievements are tempered by the hard reality of powerful, uncontrollable natural events and challenging, human-induced problems. The torrential rains spawned by El Nino in late 1997 and early 1998 and associated declines in water quality are likely causes of the significant setback in recovery of bay seagrasses. (See related story in this issue.) And last year’s discovery of the Asian green mussel in Tampa Bay reminded us of the vulnerability of commercially valuable estuaries to infestations by invasive species, hitchhiking around the globe in ship ballast tanks. (Winter, 2000 issue of Bay Guardian).

These and other “warning flags” were recently presented to the TBEP Management Board and Policy Board in the course of updating of CCMP goals and priorities. The same issues have been reviewed by the Program’s Community Advisory Committee and Technical Advisory Committee. Among the other red flags were: a preliminary finding that six percent of bay sediments are moderately contaminated with toxic metals or compounds; a sharply declining trend in white ibis populations; lack of a freshwater budget for the bay quantifying how freshwater enters the bay via different pathways; the continued increase in manatee mortality from boat impacts; and projections by the Army Corps of Engineers that existing approved dredge disposal areas in the upper bay will be at capacity by 2004.

In addition to invasive species, the boards agreed that at least three other new issues warrant the Estuary Program’s attention: better coordination of data management and exchange of data; development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for bay tributaries and lakes in the watershed; and an increasing incidence of algal blooms in the bay.

The list of ongoing and new challenges facing bay managers doesn’t allow the luxury of resting on recent laurels from EPA and The Conservation Fund. But, those honors should boost the confidence of bay partners that by cooperating in the same spirit as they have since the beginning of the program in 1991, they can achieve the same success in bay improvement over the next ten years.

Newly released data from Southwest Florida Water Management District scientists working with the Tampa Bay Estuary Program shows that more than 2,000 acres of Tampa Bay’s seagrasses have disappeared since 1996.

Some scientists speculate that the losses are largely the result of the El Nino rains of 1997-98 , which poured huge volumes of freshwater runoff and nutrients into Southwest Florida’s estuaries. Although seagrasses can withstand a broad range of salinities, the El Nino event transformed parts of Tampa Bay into virtual freshwater pools for an extended period.

Typical annual rainfall in the Tampa Bay area was 46 inches between 1998 and 1999; however, during 1997, rainfall reached 70 inches, which is equivalent to an additional two feet of freshwater falling on the bay. Higher than average rainfall also was recorded for 1998. Additionally, nitrogen loadings for the same time period also were elevated throughout the bay, compounded by accidental spills of treated sewage and phosphate fertilizer process water.

Overall, Water Management District scientists estimate that Tampa Bay lost 7.8 percent of its seagrasses between 1996 and 1999.

But scientists believe even the record-setting rains of El Nino do not adequately explain the losses calculated for Old Tampa Bay, the area of the bay north of the Gandy Bridge. Although that segment experienced the largest drop, some 24 percent between 1996 and 1999, seagrasses there have been declining since 1994. Most of the losses have occurred just north and south of the Howard Frankland Bridge on the Pinellas side, according to monitoring conducted by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD).

“Seagrass coverage in Old Tampa Bay may be lower than it has ever been,” said David Tomasko, a SWFWMD seagrass scientist. Tomasko coordinates seagrass mapping of the bay, which occurs approximately every two years. The process involves extensive aerial photography of seagrass beds followed by ground-truthing to verify the accuracy of the photos. The results are then plotted on maps using digital imagery.

Tomasko noted that the seagrass declines reported for Old Tampa Bay are more than twice as large as those reported for any other bay segment, and account for two-thirds of the baywide declines noted for the period 1996-1999.

“This latest reduction may have been larger than we’ve seen before, but it seems like this is a long-term trend,” said Roger Johansson, a biologist with the City of Tampa’s Bay Study Group.

The news isn’t all bad. Two bay segments, the Manatee River and Middle Tampa Bay, showed an increase in seagrasses over the 1996-99 period. The Manatee River gained nearly nine acres of seagrass, while Middle Tampa Bay (extending roughly from the MacDill peninsula to Pinellas Point in St. Petersburg) added more than 98 acres.

In fact, the newly reported declines come after several years of seagrass expansion baywide. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, seagrasses were returning at the rate of 500 acres a year as Tampa Bay responded to improving water quality. That expansion slowed to about 350 acres in the mid-1990s, and the latest figures show an overall loss of seagrass back to pre-1990 levels.

Seagrasses are nurseries of the bay, sheltering and supporting an amazing variety of juvenile fish and other marine creatures. The Tampa Bay Estuary Program has set a goal of restoring 12,000 acres of seagrasses baywide.

From 1984-1996, progress toward that goal remained on track, with more than 5,000 new acres reported. However, in the last three years, more than 2,000 acres have been lost. Since water quality apparently remains good enough for seagrass expansion to continue, scientists want to explore other potential causes of the recent declines.

Among factors that the Tampa Bay Estuary Program hopes to investigate are the impact of wave energy on seagrasses; how much sunlight different types of seagrass require, and whether that changes with the seasons; and what effect various types of algae that grow on seagrass blades have on the overall health of the plants.

“Even though Tampa Bay has seen a setback, we’ve seen the same magnitude of setback in other Southwest Florida estuaries, indicating that the overall decline is likely a regional response to El Nino,” said Holly Greening, senior scientist with the Estuary Program “But we’ve obviously got additional work to do in Old Tampa Bay, where something else may be going on.”

The Estuary Program, the City of Tampa Bay Study Group, and Lewis Environmental Services financed additional aerial photography of the bay in November 2000 to assess changes in seagrass coverage in the bay over the last year. The results of those surveys will be available in early 2001.

Symposium Addresses Research Needs

More than 100 scientists from throughout the United States participated in a symposium on seagrass ecology hosted by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program last summer.

The 3-day symposium, held at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort in St. Petersburg, brought together local and national experts to discuss factors that may inhibit seagrass recovery in Tampa Bay and other Southeastern estuaries. Sponsors included TBEP, the Gulf of Mexico Program, Florida Sea Grant, Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program and Sarasota Bay National Estuary Program. An evening social was sponsored by Lewis Environmental Services and Tampa BayWatch, while refreshment breaks were made possible by Janicki Environmental, Scheda Ecological Associates, Seagrass Recovery, Inc., Peninsula Design and Engineering, and the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council’s Agency on Bay Management.

Among topics explored during the symposium were: the amount of light required for seagrasses to grow; various methods of transplanting seagrasses into barren areas; and whether loss of offshore sandbars increases wave action that inhibits seagrass growth. Special sessions were devoted to site-specific issues in Tampa Bay, Indian River Lagoon, Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor.

Additionally, an interactive poster session offered students from six Florida universities an opportunity to discuss their research projects with experts in their fields.

In addition to stressing the importance of water quality to seagrass restoration, symposium sessions took a closer look at other factors, such as propeller scarring, changes in water circulation and disease, that may affect seagrass growth.

A local workshop on the final day of the symposium asked participants to prioritize the most pressing research needs in Tampa Bay. By identifying where information about seagrasses is lacking - and filling in those gaps - scientists hope to shed light on why seagrass recovery is sputtering in some parts of the bay.

The priority research projects selected by symposium participants, and recommended for funding by TBEP’s Management and Policy boards, include:

• An update of existing scientific research on the biology and ecology of seagrasses, to provide the scientific community access to comprehensive, timely information;
• Use of a special wave model developed by NOAA that estimates the effects of wave energy on seagrass beds and other benthic habitats;
• Additional analysis of seagrass monitoring data by the City of Tampa’s Bay Study Group to develop appropriate “sentinel” sites for long-term study, and more closely examine areas with significant seagrass losses; and,
• Evaluation of various techniques available to scan historic photographs and maps of seagrass beds into easily accessible formats.

The U.S. Congress passed critical legislation recently committing federal dollars to restore a million acres of estuary habitat and ensuring the continued survival of the National Estuary Program.

The Estuaries and Clean Waters Act of 2000, sponsored by the late Senator John Chafee (R-RI) and Representative Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), authorizes a total of $275 million over the next 5 years for matching funds for local restoration projects. That money will be administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Act also designates an additional $35 million per year for the next four years to support the National Estuary Program (NEP), a national network of coastal programs developing solutions for estuary problems. The bill also clarifies that NEP funds may be used to carry out existing, locally-crafted conservation and management plans for the 28 estuaries across the U.S. in the program.

“We can thank the vision and hard work of key Senators and Representatives as well as the efforts of a coalition of federal, state and local governments and non-profit organizations for this bill that provides a strong federal commitment and resources to restore habitat in estuaries. The bill forms a true partnership between the federal government and local interests dedicated to restoring our vital estuarine resources,” said Richard Ribb, legislative coordinator for the Association of National Estuary Programs. “In addition to providing significant and much-needed funding for estuary habitat restoration, the bill supports an important community-based program [the National Estuary Program] that has used partnerships to effectively restore wetlands, seagrasses and fish runs over the last decade.”

Estuaries are among the most biologically productive areas in the world. Providing critical habitat, feeding and spawning areas, they are home to thousands of estuarine species, from birds of prey to manatees to microscopic plankton. This productivity also translates into an economic powerhouse, providing resources and jobs for millions of people across the country.

In recent decades, both scientists and citizens have noticed alarming declines in the fish and wildlife that live in or near our estuaries, in the diversity of habitats that provide ecological richness, and in the clarity and quality of the waters that flow into and out these dynamic systems. In response to these concerns, Congress designated a set of “estuaries of national significance” and established the National Estuary Program (NEP) through amendment to the Clean Water Act. The NEP’s creation was both an acknowledgement of the vital roles estuaries play in our nation’s prosperity, and a challenge to environmental managers to look beyond institutional boundaries by addressing the needs of entire ecosystems.

Originally a handful of programs, requests by governors, legislators and citizens have increased the program to its current 28 estuaries. Now 42% of the continental U.S. shoreline is included in the program and 15% of all Americans live within NEP-designated watersheds. The twenty-eight National Estuary Programs circle the coasts of the country, from Puget Sound to Santa Monica Bay, to Galveston Bay, to Tampa Bay and Indian River Lagoon in Florida, Albemarle-Pamlico Sounds in North Carolina, to Maryland Coastal Bays, Narragansett Bay, New Hampshire Estuaries, and Casco Bay in Maine -- and many beautiful places in between.

This innovative program has served as a catalyst for action by bringing local interests such as industry, environmental groups and local governments to the table to craft strategies and solutions for estuary problems and then coordinating the work of many partners to put these solutions into action. The NEPs have also been building the scientific data needed to effectively address estuary problems like toxic chemical contamination, habitat loss, excessive nutrients, nonpoint source pollution, health risks from pathogens, invasive species and decreased biological diversity.

ST. PETERSBURG -- An information-packed guide to environmentally responsible boating and angling in Hillsborough Bay is now available free of charge from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program.

Produced by Concerned Citizens of Gibsonton and Audubon of Florida with a Mini-Grant from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, the Hillsborough Bay Boater’s Guide identifies significant natural features of this area of Tampa Bay, so close to Tampa’s metropolis. Featured are such eco-landmarks as the Alafia Bank bird nesting colonies, ranked among the nation’s largest and most diverse, and the Manatee Viewing Center at TECO’s Big Bend facility - which annually hosts more than 200 manatees during the winter months.

Important seagrass meadows, publicly owned lands and habitat restoration sites also are identified on the color map included in the guide, and accompanying text and photos showcase some of Hillsborough Bay’s most intriguing inhabitants, including sharks and rays, sea turtles and diamondback terrapins, and a variety of spectacular wading and shorebirds.

The guide informs boaters of areas where access is restricted to protect natural resources and wildlife. Additionally, it identifies major shipping channels, seagrass beds, manatee areas and shallow waters where boaters need to take special care. Printed on water-resistant paper, it is designed to be stored aboard a boat for handy reference.

“We developed the Boaters’ Guide to enlist the people who love Hillsborough Bay most - the recreational boaters - in helping us protect the bird nesting sites, the seagrass and mangrove shorelines and the sea turtles, manatees, fish and other wildlife of this very special place,” said Ann Schnapf, assistant manager of Audubon’s Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries.

The map was created by The Planning Commission of Hillsborough County. Additional funding to produce the Boater’s Guide was provided by Cargill Fertilizer and the Alafia River Catfish Tournament.

The Boater’s Guide to Hillsborough Bay is being distributed by The Planning Commission, the Tampa Port Authority, the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Audubon’s Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries and local bait and tackle shops and boating equipment stores.

The Tampa Bay Estuary Program was recently honored with two awards recognizing its groundbreaking work in building community support for the restoration and protection of Tampa Bay.

TBEP was among four recipients of the CF Industries National Watershed Award, which annually honors organizations that have developed model programs to protect local watersheds. Specifically, the award recognizes effective, nonregulatory approaches for improving water quality such as TBEP’s Nitrogen Management Consortium, an alliance of local governments, regulatory agencies and private industries which cooperatively developed a voluntary plan to reduce nitrogen pollution in the bay.

The award was created by CF Industries, a national phosphate and nitrogen fertilizer cooperative, and is administered by The Conservation Fund, one of America’s most respected land and water conservation organizations. TBEP was nominated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Judges for the award include Gilbert M. Grosvenor, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Geographic Society; Marilyn Ware Lewis, Chairman of the Board of the American Water Works Company, Ltd.; Robert Liuzzi, President and CEO of CF Industries, Inc.; and Patrick Noonan, Chairman of The Conservation Fund.

Other honorees included the Chain of Lakes Clean Water Partnership in Minneapolis; the Careless Creek Watershed Project in Roundup, Montana; and the Sugar Creek SALT Project in Bethany, Missouri.

The Estuary Program’s Executive Director, Dick Eckenrod, and Policy Board member Sally Thompson accepted the award at a ceremony held November 13 in Washington. D.C.

TBEP also was among the inaugural winners of an Environmental Merit Award 2000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region IV office in Atlanta.

The Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP) was honored for its leadership and dedication to environmental protection. EPA received more than 250 nominations for its inaugural Environmental Merit Awards program.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Jan Platt and Pinellas Assistant County Administrator Jake Stowers accompanied TBEP Executive Director Dick Eckenrod to Atlanta in October to accept the award.

Revenues from the new Tampa Bay Estuary specialty license tag already are being put to work to finance small grants for community restoration and education projects.

TBEP’s Management and Policy Boards agreed to allocate $10,000 of the money generated by sales of the license plate to supplement the Bay Mini-Grant program, which awards grants of up to $5,000 each to schools, environmental organizations and community groups for projects that benefit Tampa Bay. The $10,000 will be added to the $20,000 already reserved in TBEP’s general budget, for a total of $30,000 in grants.

This year’s Bay Mini-Grant program attracted 23 applicants. Their proposals were evaluated by members of TBEP’s Community Advisory Committee, with 12 recommended for full or partial funding. Projects include a mentoring program that offers quality outdoor experiences to inner-city children in Hillsborough County; a native landscaping project at a Pinellas County park; and educational field trips to a nature preserve for schoolchildren in Manatee County.

In addition to using some of the license tag revenues for Mini-Grants, TBEP plans to solicit funding proposals of up to $25,000 for larger-scale restoration and enhancement projects, beginning in the Spring of 2001.

The Tampa Bay license tag has earned more than $30,000 since its official release last spring.

The license tag costs $27 the first year, and can be renewed for $17 annually -- with $15 going directly to projects that will advance the bay restoration goals adopted in the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Tampa Bay.

TBEP’s Video Lending Library has the following new films available for loan to residents, community groups and school classes:

• “Subdivide and Conquer: A Modern Western”
  This high-quality, 60-minute documentary for PBS examines the social, political and environmental problems associated with urban sprawl, from the perspective of the American West. This film was named Best Environmental Program at the Telluride Film Festival.
• “Aquatic Invaders”
  This 30-minute film explores the economic and environmental threats posed by invasive species, such as the zebra mussel, and how scientists, the public and policy makers are working to prevent the spread of these harmful interlopers. Although the subject matter emphasizes the Great Lakes region, it is applicable to all areas of the nation. Produced by Information Television Network in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other organizations.
• “Environmental Explorations: Weedon Island” and “Environmental Explorations: Air Quality”
  These 30-minute videos were produced by Pinellas County Government Access TV. The Weedon Island video explores the rich cultural and natural history of Weedon Island Preserve, while the Air Quality video examines the sources and effects of air pollution, and what the county is doing to monitor and reduce pollution.
• “One Community, One Gulf”
  · A 30-minute overview of diverse restoration projects underway by citizens, students, scientists, government and private sector partners to improve the environmental health of the Gulf of Mexico. Produced by the Gulf of Mexico Program.

Videos are free and may be borrowed for up to a month. Instructions for returning the videos, along with a free postage strip, are included with each video.