Tampa Bay
Adoption of Goals to Restore 12,350 Acres of Seagrass Over Time
Category: Submerged
Cost: $ 1.7 million/year each year
Description: The Tampa Bay Estuary Program partners are working
to restore seagrass coverage in the bay to approximately its 1950 coverage,
or about 12,000 additional acres. Achieving this goal will entail maintaining
nitrogen loading at average 1992-1994 levels in order to maintain water clarity
for seagrass recovery.
Outcome: After experiencing an increase of approximately
3600 acres between 1988 and 1996, the bay sustained a 2100-acre loss (7.7%)
between 1996-1999. The loss is believed to be associated with unprecedented
rainfall and degraded water quality accompanying the El Nino events in 1997
and 1998. The return to more normal water clarity conditions in 1999-2000
is expected to get seagrass recovery back on track.
Contact: Holly Greening, Tampa Bay Estuary Program, hgreening@tbep.org
Citation: "Habitat Protection and Restoration Targets
for Tampa Bay," 1994, Technical Publication #07-93, Tampa Bay Estuary
Program, prepared by Coastal Environmental, Inc. (A.J. Janicki, D.L. Wade,
and D.E. Robison).
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