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An algae bloom is again covering a wide swath of Tampa Bay north of the Howard Frankland Bridge.

The algae, called Pyrodinium bahamense, is the same type that has flared up in Old Tampa Bay almost every year since 2007. The cysts remain dormant in the bay sediments until conditions are right for them to emerge or “bloom,” usually following early hot weather and heavy rains in May or June.

The largest bloom to date occurred in 2009, when the algae gave an 11-mile stretch along the bay’s eastern shoreline, from the Courtney Campbell Causeway to the Gandy Bridge, a reddish tint similar to tomato soup.

This year’s bloom is occurring a little later in the summer, and scientist aren’t sure why.

Sampling crews with the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County first detected the presence of the algae in July. Cell counts in early August showed concentrations at some stations as much as 16 or even 20 times the July counts.

Pyrodinium is not the type of algae responsible for Florida’s infamous “Red Tides.” However, it is a harmful algae that can reduce oxygen levels in the water and lead to fish kills. No fish kills have been reported yet in association with the current bloom.

Most algae, including Pyrodinium, are associated with the presence of too much nitrogen or phosphorous in a waterway. Nitrogen is the primary pollutant of concern in Tampa Bay. The bay typically receives high amounts of nitrogen in the summer when heavy rains wash fertilizer residues, vehicle exhaust, sewer overflows and other forms of nitrogen into the water.

This year’s bloom appears to be even more rust-colored in appearance than previous blooms, and is readily visible to motorists on both the Courtney Campbell Causeway and the Howard Frankland Bridge.

A FREE workshop to assist those interested in applying for a TBEP Bay Mini-Grant will be held Wednesday, August 3 from 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. at the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council in Pinellas Park. Space is limited and reservations are required. Contact Misty at misty@tbep.org to reserve your seat.

The deadline for submitting a grant proposal is Monday, October 3, 2011 at 3 p.m. Proposals will be evaluated by members of TBEP’s Community Advisory Committee. Grants will be awarded in mid-November and must be completed within one year.

TBEP annually offers small grants of up to $5,000 for bay improvement projects proposed by citizen groups and organizations in Hillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas counties. Schools, civic associations, non-profit organizations and other community groups are encouraged to apply. Application information is available on the TBEP website.

Thanks to all who purchased a Tampa Bay Estuary specialty license plate (featuring a tarpon), approximately $75,000 will be available for Mini-Grants in the coming year. The maximum grant amount is $5,000, but requests for as little as $500 are acceptable.

Tampa Bay gained 3,250 acres of seagrass between 2008 and 2010 – an 11% increase that is the largest 2-year expansion of seagrasses since scientists began regular surveys of this critical underwater habitat.

The bay now supports 32,897 acres of seagrasses – more than at any time measured since the 1950s, according to data presented this week to the Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP) and other members of the Southwest Florida Seagrass Working Group.

The data was collected by scientists with the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program. They assess seagrass coverage in the bay approximately every two years, using a combination of maps produced from aerial photographs followed by ground-truthing to verify accuracy. The aerial photographs are taken in winter months when the water is clearer. Results of this comprehensive effort have been used to track trends in seagrass extent in estuaries throughout Southwest Florida since 1988.

All major bay segments showed seagrass gains, according to the SWIM data, including the troubled Old Tampa Bay segment in the northern part of the bay, which has been plagued by algae blooms and an expanding layer of thick, soupy muck near Safety Harbor in recent years. Seagrasses in Old Tampa Bay expanded by 858 acres over 2008 levels, or nearly 15%. Seagrasses in Middle Tampa Bay increased by 1,549 acres, or 23.3%

The increases could be a result of improving water quality overall. In fact, preliminary results from 2010 monitoring indicates that all bay segments met TBEP’s adopted water clarity goals. Recent low-rainfall years, with less runoff entering the bay, may have contributed to the improvements. And some gains also may be a function of constantly improving seagrass mapping techniques.

Seagrasses are an important barometer of the bay’s health because they require relatively clean water to flourish. They also provide vital habitat for sportfish such as sea trout, snook, and redfish.

Despite the impressive gains, the bay is still 5,103 acres short of the target goal of 38,000 acres of seagrass set by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and its local government partners. Reaching that goal will require a continued commitment by the region to reducing excess nitrogen that remains the bay’s primary pollutant of concern, said Holly Greening, Executive Director of the Estuary Program. Too much nitrogen fuels algae growth that turns the water cloudy and depletes oxygen.

“The seagrass increases are great news, especially as we mark the 20-year anniversary of the Estuary Program partnership this year,” Greening said. “But we still need to manage nitrogen loadings, and to assess and address problem areas in the bay.”

ST. PETERSBURG – The Tampa Bay Estuary Program will award $93,000 to 22 community groups for projects that directly involve citizens in restoring and improving Tampa Bay.

This year’s Bay Mini-Grant program attracted 31 applicants. Members of the Estuary Program’s Community Advisory Committee evaluated the grant proposals, recommending 22 for full or partial funding. Grant requests up to $5,000 were eligible.

Funds for the Mini-Grant program come from sales of the Tampa Bay Estuary license plate – also known as the “Tarpon Tag.”

The 2010-2011 recipients, by county, are:
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

• Crystal Springs Foundation, Inc. (4,600.00)
  Source to the Sea and Me
  Grant funds will develop a science program for 200 middle school aged home-schooled students and their families. Students will learn about the link between the Hillsborough River and the Bay; how pollution impacts the river and what they can do to protect it. Students will also use GPS units to collect data and participate in a hands-on restoration project.
  
• Hillsborough River Watershed Alliance ($2,000.00)
  Watershed Education Outreach Program
  Partial funds for this grant will be used to update the Hillsborough River Watershed Alliance amphibian display at Lowry Park Zoo. Information in the display will educate visitors about how frogs act as indicators of the health of the Bay and watershed.
  
• City of Plant City Water Resource Management Division ($5,000.00)
  Community Rain Gardens
  The City will use Bay Mini-Grant funds to create a sub-grant program. Up to 30 residents or businesses will be able to apply to install rain gardens on their property to retain stormwater runoff. Participants will receive training from Hillsborough County Extension, Suncoast Native Plant Society, and Adopt-A-Pond on proper installation and use of the rain garden, and then receive reimbursements for their rain garden plants and materials.
  
• Lowry Park Zoo ($4,945.00)
  Colorful Native Lined Seahorses
  Students from VanBuren Middle School, where 90% of students participate in the free or reduced lunch program, will study seashores in a controlled environment at the Zoo. Students will prepare presentations that will be used in the zoo-to-you ZooVentures outreach program at the school highlighting the link between seahorses and water quality.
  
• Sulphur Springs Museum and Heritage Center ($3,874.10)
  Mann-Wagnon Restoration
  The Museum and Heritage Center was formed by members of the neighborhood association with the goal of preserving the local area. The Museum has leased the site at Mann-Wagnon from the County. The group will create educational areas around the property including an example of a Florida Friendly Yard and a butterfly garden. Visitors can also participate in educational activities focused on environmental stewardship.
  
• Stormwater Education and Outreach Program ($5,000.00)
  Tampa Bay Beautification
  Tampa Bay Beautification will create a hands-on workshop for students in Hillsborough County schools to learn how everyday actions impact our watershed. Students will participate in a litter and debris clean up project at their schools and will mark storm drains throughout the neighborhood. They will also place door hangers at homes where drains have been marked.
  
• The Florida Aquarium ($4,850.00)
  Elementary Teachers Exploring Climate Change in Tampa Bay
  The Florida Aquarium will provide three one-day Climate Change workshops for elementary school teachers from Pinellas, Hillsborough and Manatee Counties. Workshops will be aligned with FCAT and build on the NOAA curriculum previously used with middle school teachers.
  

MANATEE COUNTY

• Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch $2,474.94)
  ‘Turtle Talks’ Activity Books
  Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch is requesting funds to reprint more than 13,000 copies of the popular Turtle Talks activity books. Elementary-age students in Manatee County will learn about the importance of protection and awareness of turtles. Partial funding of this grant will provide for several thousand printed books.
  
• Manatee School for the Arts ($4,862.10)
  Manatee River Environmental Stewardship Program
  Students at the school, located less than a half-mile from the Manatee River, will go on outdoor excursions to take water samples, learn about invasive species at Emerson Point Preserve and participate in a service-learning project. Students will learn how their behavior affects the watershed and keep a journal of their activities.
  

PINELLAS COUNTY

• Canterbury School ($2,930.00)
  School Restoration Project
  Canterbury, a private school in Pinellas County, will partner with Tampa Bay Watch to engage 5th through 8th grade students in a habitat restoration project to plant salt marsh grasses at the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve in Manatee County. The 9th through 12th grade students will be creating oyster bars at Weedon Island Preserve in Pinellas County.
  
• City of Safety Harbor ($5,000.00)
  Marshall Street Park Wetland Education and Nature Trail
  The City will use grant funds to create a bridge and enhance the trail adjacent to Mullet Creek. Students from Safety Harbor Middle School will assist in creating an education brochure/rack card. Educational signs as well as pet waste stations are included in the grant request.
  
• Friends of the Tampa Bay National Wildlife Refuges, Inc. ($5,000.00)
  Florida Coastal Environmental Education
  Fifth-grade students will participate in a variety of on-site learning activities at County coastal parks or preserves. Students will rotate through three separate hands-on activities focused on water quality, protection of fish and wildlife and invasive species.
  
• Golder Associates ($3,985.00)
  South St. Petersburg Bayou Clean-up and Recycling Round-Up
  Golder Associates, an environmental consulting firm, will facilitate educational sessions and shoreline clean-up activities in south St. Petersburg. AKA AKademy middle-age students will use kayaks and waders to clean up and recycle debris around Big Bayou and Lassing Park in Pinellas County.
  
• Jungle Terrace Civic Association (4,998.00)
  3rd Annual Parks Clean-Up
  The Jungle Terrace Civic Association will coordinate a neighborhood project to remove invasive plants and trees near Walter Fuller Park and lake.
  
• Kayak Nature Adventures ($5,000.00)
  Habitat Florida Manatee
  Kayak Nature Adventures will facilitate on-water cleanups in Clam Bayou and nearby areas. Participants will learn about manatee usage of the area and how polluted stormwater runoff can harm manatees.
  
• Nature's Academy ($5,000.00)
  Island Adventure Pilot Project
  Nature’s Academy is targeting education to 7th graders in Pinellas County schools. Students will go on a marine science field trip where they will learn about the estuary, mangroves and the ecological and economic importance of local habitats at Fort DeSoto Park. Students will also participate in a community service-learning project.
  
• Pasadena Bear Creek Neigh. Association ($4,937.95)
  Bear Creek Invasive Plant Removal/Vegetation Restoration
  The Neighborhood Association is continuing its work to rid Bear Creek of invasive plants, litter and debris at the Creek. Local community volunteers will work to clean up the area and improve the health of the Creek before it discharges into Boca Ciega Bay.
  
• Pinellas County Extension ($4,815.80)
  McKay Creek Gone Batty - Phase II
  Phase II of McKay Creek Gone Batty is a combination of a wildlife conservation and volunteer community event project that will take place on the grounds of the 60-acre natural area adjacent to McKay Creek. Community volunteers will work to clean up the nature trails and remove invasive plants leading to the bat house. The bat house, once complete, will be able to house up to 40,000 bats while still allowing visitors to safely view the structure.
  
• Saint Paul's School ($4,452.00)
  Allen's Creek Water Quality Monitoring Project
  Students at Saint Paul’s School will use Allen’s Creek to create a database and monitor long term changes in water quality that may be the result of non-point source pollution from the developed areas along the creek. Students will create presentations of their work to share with others.
  
• USF – SEAS (Students Environmental Awareness Society)
  Addition of New Watergoat and Necessary Maintenance Supplies ($3,358.63)
  The SEAS will oversee the installation of a custom-built “watergoat” device to trap trash and debris flowing into Bayboro Harbor on the USF Bayboro Campus in St. Petersburg. Currently the SEAS group maintains a watergoat at the outfall of Booker Creek near the NOAA building. SEAS members will maintain this new watergoat by removing the trash that collects there before it can be washed farther out into the Bay.
  
• City of Gulfport ($4,645.00)
  Clam Bayou Native Planting
  Gulfport officials will work with residents to restore an area that was once a dumping ground and shooting range that has been converted to a park. The City will partner with the Sierra Club to seek volunteers for to remove invasive plants at the site and replace them with natives.
  

An innovative stewardship program designed to promote proper disposal of dog waste to prevent water pollution will kick off Saturday, November 6 from 10 a.m.-noon at Robinson Preserve.

The “AmbassaDogs” program has enlisted dog owners who regularly use the Preserve, along with their canine companions, to talk with other dog walkers about the need to pick up after their pets while using the preserve – and even in their own yards and neighborhoods. The program is a part of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program’s Pooches for the Planet pet waste education campaign.

The volunteer AmbassaDog teams will be patrolling the preserve for the next six months, delivering the “Scoop That Poop” message to other dog owners, and providing them free pet waste bag dispensers and information. The 2-legged volunteers will be equipped with bright blue backpacks, while the 4-legged volunteers will be wearing matching vests with the AmbassaDogs logo.

Pet waste is a significant source of nutrients and fecal coliform bacteria entering Sarasota and Tampa Bays. Approximately 26 tons of pet waste is deposited on the ground in Sarasota and Manatee Counties every day! Unfortunately, this dog poop does not stay on the grass but gets washed down the storm drains and delivered untreated to the closest waterway during rain events.

Just like human waste, dog poop poses a threat to both public health and water quality. It contributes harmful bacteria that can make people ill, as well as excessive nutrients that cause algae blooms that in turn rob the water of oxygen needed to support fish and other marine life.

Robinson Preserve was chosen as the test site for this pilot program because it is located directly on Tampa Bay and the Manatee River, and because park managers have identified pet waste as a lingering problem there. During the 6-month pilot project, GPS surveys will be conducted to determine if the AmbassaDogs volunteers are helpful in reducing the number of doggy doo piles in the preserve.

If successful, the program could be expanded to other public areas where dogs are permitted.

For more information about the Estuary Program’s Pooches for the Planet campaign click here

AmbassaDogs is funded by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, in partnership with Manatee County’s Natural Resources Department and with support from Simply Green Solutions, LLC.

The Tampa Bay Manatee Awareness Coalition reminds boaters that several slow speed zones go into effect November 15 to protect manatees that will be gathering near area power plants as water temperatures fall.

As many as 350 manatees are expected to spend all or part of the winter months in Tampa Bay and its tributaries. When water temperatures consistently drop below 68 degrees, the majority of the animals will be in or near Tampa Electric Company’s Big Bend power plant near Apollo Beach.

Through September 30, eight manatees have been killed by watercraft in Hillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas counties. Already this year, a record 656 animals have died statewide, most as a result of the severe cold weather early in 2010.

Manatees are most in danger of being hit by boats when in waters less than 6 feet deep that contain underwater seagrass meadows where the animals feed and rest. These flats, and their deeper edges, are popular with anglers as well as manatees.

Several slow speed zones or combustion motor exclusion zones will be in effect from Nov. 15 - March 31. A county breakdown of these zones follows.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

• A No Entry zone is in effect from November 15-March 31 in the waters immediately south of the discharge canal at TECO’s Big Bend power plant near Apollo Beach, where the vast majority of manatees in Tampa Bay seek refuge when water temperatures fall below 68 degrees.
• An Idle Speed Zone is in place from November 15-March 31 for waters south of the Apollo Beach No Entry area, generally east of the “Hammerhead” portion of Apollo Beach and north of Apollo Beach Boulevard.
• A year-round slow speed zone is in effect south of the Courtney Campbell Causeway near Rocky Point from the shore out to the 6-foot depth and extending to Old Port Tampa south of the Gandy Bridge. Marked channels into Culbreath Isles allow speeds of 25 mph.
• A year-round slow speed zone is in effect from the shore to the 6-foot depth from the mouth of the Alafia River south to the Manatee County line, except for marked channels into Apollo Beach, Bahia Beach and into the Cockroach Bay boat ramp which allow on-plane speeds.

  MANATEE COUNTY

  • A year-round slow speed zone is in effect along the entire shoreline of Terra Ceia Bay, throughout Bishop Harbor, and within 500 feet of the shore of the Manatee River. In addition, the entire Manatee River east of I-75 is slow speed except for two sections of marked 25 mph channels.
  • The entire Braden River is slow speed year-round except for designated 25 mph channels.
  • The entire shoreline of Palma Sola Bay, and most of Anna Maria Sound and Sarasota Bay (within Manatee County) is a year-round slow speed zone except for marked channels.

    PINELLAS COUNTY

    • A combustion motor exclusion (“no motor”) zone goes into effect November 15 in the shallow flats south of the Gandy channel and north and east of the Progress Energy power plant at Weedon Island. Extensive year-round slow speed and no-motor zones also are in effect for the waters surrounding Weedon Island Preserve – watch for markers identifying these zones.

    To report an injured or dead manatee, or an on-water violation, call 1-888-404- FWCC (3922). If you do hit a manatee while boating, please report it! The sooner the animal is located and its condition is assessed, the better its chances for survival. You will not be cited for accidentally hitting a manatee as long as you were not violating any boating laws.

    The Manatee Awareness Coalition also reminds boaters to stay in marked channels when traveling on plane, to wear polarized glasses and to watch for tail swirls that indicate the presence of manatees.

    Remember: Where seagrasses grow, manatees go!

The Tampa Bay Estuary Program's quarterly board meetings are scheduled for November 18 and 19 at the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, 4000 Gateway Centre Blvd., Pinellas Park. Members of the public are invited to attend.

The Management Board will meet Thursday, Nov. 18 at 1:30 p.m. The Policy Board meets Friday, Nov. 19 at 10 a.m.

Key agenda items include approval of the 2011 Bay Mini-Grants; approval of a funding agreement with the Southwest Florida Water Management District for several research and evaluation projects in Old Tampa Bay; and approval of a marketing contract for TBEP's residential fertilizer education campaign.

A copy of the complete agenda may be obtained by contacting Ron Hosler at ron@tbep.org

The Tampa Bay Estuary Program’s Policy Board will conduct a public hearing at 10:00 a.m. on August 13, 2010 to present the Program’s Initial Agency-wide budget for fiscal year 2010-2011, beginning October 1, 2010. The hearing will be held at the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, 4000 Gateway Centre Blvd., Pinellas Park, Florida. All citizens are invited to attend and express their support or objections to the work plan budget.

SOURCES OF FUNDING

Federal: $1,143,697
Non-Federal: 650,812
In-Kind: 443,539
Total Funding: $2,238,048

PROJECTED EXPENDITURES

Action Plan Implementation $649,475
Contracted Technical Projects 1,134,084
Community Outreach 87,500
In-Kind 443,539
Total Projected Expenditures $2,314,598

For more information e-mail Program Administrator Ron Hosler at ron@tbep.org

The Tampa Bay Estuary Program's Policy Board, composed of elected officials and appointees from TBEP member organizations, will meet Friday, August 13 at 10 a.m.

Agenda items include a public hearing and subsequent adoption of the Estuary Program's FY 10-11 Operating Budget; consideration of an administrative support agreement with the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council; approval of a contractor for the Tidal Tributary Salinity Study; approval of the Tampa Bay Habitat Masterplan; and an update on plans for TBEP's upcoming 20th anniversary celebration.

The meeting will be held at the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, 4000 Gateway Centre Blvd., Pinellas Park.

The meeting is open to the public. To obtain a detailed agenda, please contact Ron Hosler at 727-893-2765 or ron@tbep.org.

Research coordinated by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program indicates that lawn fertilizers are an increasingly significant source of a thick, oxygen-deficient layer of muck in a wide swath of Old Tampa Bay near Safety Harbor.

The yearlong project was conducted by a research team led by Dr. Ernst Peebles of the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science. The study was funded by the Pinellas-Anclote Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, and coordinated by the Estuary Program at the District’s request.

Peebles’ team looked at how the bay bottom in this area has changed in character and composition over time, tracing the origins of nitrogen found in the sediments. Excess nitrogen is the major pollutant in Tampa Bay, and can cause algae blooms that reduce oxygen levels and kill fish.

Their work shows a gradual shift in the source of the nitrogen entering Old Tampa Bay from the surrounding watershed. In the early 1900s, the type and amount of nitrogen found in core samples was consistent with natural background levels, not surprising since few people lived in the region then. Core samples dating to the 1940s show a shift toward nitrogen associated with livestock wastes and human sewage. However, now, nitrogen contained in the surface layers is consistent with that found in inorganic residential fertilizer.

The research also indicates that the rate at which the muck is accumulating has been accelerating in recent years. The muck itself is composed largely of crustacean fecal matter.

Old Tampa Bay is a special focus of concern for the Estuary Program because of recent water quality problems and lagging seagrass recovery. Additionally, large algae blooms have spread across this area over the past two summers.

Lack of appropriate water circulation has long been identified as a culprit, and the new research indicates that overuse of lawn fertilizers may also be contributing to the area’s water quality woes.

Pinellas County has banned the use of nitrogen lawn and landscape fertilizers from June through September, when heavy summer rains increase the potential for fertilizer residues to wash into waterways. Hillsborough County will be considering a similar ordinance on July 15.

And later this year, TBEP will initiate a comprehensive, large-scale research effort to identify potential solutions for improving water and habitat quality in Old Tampa Bay.

For more information, call Nanette O’Hara at (727) 893-2765 or e-mail nanette@tbep.org

A community-led effort to restore native habitats at Little Bayou Park in St. Petersburg has received the “Golden Mangrove Award” as the Tampa Bay Estuary Program’s most outstanding Bay Mini-Grant project for 2009.

The award was presented at the Estuary Program’s Policy Board meeting today by Cathy Quindiagan, Co-Chair of TBEP’s Community Advisory Committee. The project was selected by the CAC members from among 27 grant recipients last year. The Little Bayou restoration received a $10,000 grant, the maximum allowed.

The project was sponsored by the Greater Pinellas Point Civic Association, and led by neighborhood resident Ray Wunderlich, a longtime advocate for environmental preservation. Wunderlich recruited neighbors and other community volunteers for a series of workdays to remove Brazilian pepper trees and other invasive plants and trash from the 17-acre park bordering Tampa Bay in south St. Petersburg. The area was then replanted with a variety of native shrubs, trees and flowers. To date, volunteers have contributed more than 1,700 hours to restoring Little Bayou, and Wunderlich continues tomonitor the area regularly to make sure no invasive plants are returning.

In addition to the Greater Pinellas Point neighborhood, other major partners included the Florida Native Plant Society, the St. Petersburg Parks Department and several other neighborhood associations.

The project is “providing a glimpse of what this area used to look like for all the public to enjoy,” Wunderlich said.

The Bay Mini-Grants program is supported by sales of the Tampa Bay Estuary license plate, featuring a tarpon.