OLD TAMPA BAY — Sheila Scolaro took a long, deep breath. The salty air whistled first into her snorkel, and then her lungs, before she leaned forward and plunged into the murky depths of Tampa Bay. Cloudy green water hid the seafloor below. Looking through a diving mask, she could see a foot, maybe two, in front of her. Scolaro, a seagrass scientist, dove down with a question: How much .
Seagrass is a critical habitat and is considered an indicator of a healthy estuary. It stabilizes sediment, reduces shoreline erosion, sequesters carbon and provides food and habitat for a variety of fish and wildlife. COURTESY PHOTO Scientists from the University of Florida, Auburn University and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program are using artificial intelligence technology
Before Hurricane Ian struck, scientists were monitoring water from the mouth of Tampa Bay near Manatee River, all the way up to Cockroach Bay, on the southeastern shore of Hillsborough County for possible effects of a Piney Point stormwater release.
A new fertilizer ban in Hillsborough County goes into effect next week. It is the latest county here in the region to crack down on nutrient pollution leaking into Tampa Bay.
Just as land animals can be affected by deforestation, marine animals can be affected by a decline in seagrass growth, and recent data shows area wildlife could be in trouble.
Following a variety of environmental and human-made factors, Sarasota Bay is experiencing a 12-year loss in seagrass growth.
Preliminary results from the Southwest Florida Water Management District show an 18% decline in seagrass across Sarasota Bay, Roberts Bay and Little Sarasota Bay from 2018 to 2020. The decline equates to loss of 2,300 acres of seagrass.
“A healthy bay leads to a healthy bay, so everything is tied together,” Sarasota Bay Watch Secretary John Ryan said. “Having healthy seagrass is really important to our bay ecosystem because about 75% of marine life have some part of their life in seagrass, so this is not great.”