Tampa Bay lost 13 percent of its seagrass in two years, study shows
Experts say reducing pollution that fuels algal blooms is critical.
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Manatee grass as seen last week off Bishop Harbor south of Port Manatee. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Tampa Bay Times ]
Published Earlier today
Tampa Bay lost about 13 percent of its seagrass in recent years, a survey shows, leaving the ecosystem short of a goal for building upon decades of environmental progress.
Between 2018 and 2020, the bay saw an estimated decline of 5,411 acres of seagrass, according to reviews from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
âThatâs . less area for manatees to feed on, for fish to hide out and crabs to hide out in their early life stages,â said Maya Burke, assistant director of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, which announced the news this week. âThatâs not just noise.â
LARGO â The city of Largo on April 20 agreed to settle a federal lawsuit with three area environmental groups that claim the cityâs failed sewage treatment and aging collection system have led to water quality problems in Old Tampa Bay and endangered human health and the environment.
City commissioners voted 7-0 to settle the suit brought on by Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, Suncoast Waterkeeper, and Our Childrenâs Earth Foundation, who said the city was in violation of the Clean Water Act by not adhering to the Department of Environmental Protectionâs permit related to the discharge of certain pollutants into navigable waters.
Concern for Red Tide Outbreak in Tampa Bay After Wastewater Discharge insurancejournal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from insurancejournal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Wastewater discharge in Tampa Bay could fuel algal blooms
Associated Press
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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Environmentalists are worried that a recent discharge of wastewater into Tampa Bay could exacerbate a new outbreak of the dreaded red tide algal blooms.
An estimated 215 million gallons of wastewater from the old Piney Point fertilizer plant grounds was discharged earlier this month into Tampa Bay. About 11 miles away, red tide was found in water samples off Manatee County.
“Piney Point loaded the gun, and then that first red tide positive count, they slammed the hammer back on the gun,” said Brian Rosegger, co-founder of nearby Lost Coast Oyster Company.
Red Tide is cause of concern near Piney Point discharge in Tampa Bay
âWeâre still at the very beginning of the Piney Point spill in Tampa Bay,â an environmental advocate says.
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A fisherman traverses a shipping channel on Friday off the coastal mangrove estuaries of Bishop Harbor and the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve near Port Manatee. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Tampa Bay Times ]
Updated 4 hours ago
TAMPA BAY â About 11 miles separate the area around Port Manatee, where an estimated 215 million gallons of wastewater were recently released into Tampa Bay, and the spot off Manatee County where water samples this week turned up a dreaded result: