State of Tampa Bay 1996

The amount of phytoplankton present in Tampa Bay waters can be estimated from measurements of the green plant pigment chlorophyll-a. Phytoplankton is one of several major forms of plants that exist in Tampa Bay and most other estuaries. Other major plant types are submerged seagrass, macro-algae and benthic micro-algae. The different plants can be viewed as being in competition with each other for required resources, such as light and nutrients. Studies conducted in urbanized estuaries have shown that excessive loading of nitrogen generally is accompanied by an increase of phytoplankton and macro-algae, including epiphytic and drift macro-algae, and by a reduction of seagrass. Relatively little is known about the response of benthic micro-algae to changes in nutrient availability. From a resource perspective, the loss of seagrass means a loss of essential habitat for a multitude of marine animal species. Therefore, the amount of chlorophyll-a present in the water column not only measures phytoplankton biomass, but the amount present also gives a general understanding of resource competition within the Tampa Bay ecosystem

Historical and current observations on macroalgae in the Hillsborough Bay Estuary

To improve the understanding of macroalgae dynamics it was recommended that long-term monitoring of the macroalgae in the bay be initiated. Subsequently, the City of Tampa initiated a Hillsborough Bay macroalgae monitoring program that since 1986 has been providing consistent monthly biomass and species composition information from five fixed transects. In addition to the transect monitoring, low level aerial observations are conducted on a near monthly schedule for estimations of bay-wide macroalgae and seagrass coverage. Results indicate that the annual bay-wide macroalgae coverage has decreased near steadily from about 300ha in the late 1980\u27s to less than 30ha since 1997

Surface sediments and their relationship to water quality in Hillsborough Bay, a highly impacted subdivision of Tampa Bay, Florida

This paper will summarize the composition of surface sediment and sediment oxygen demand rated in Hillsborough Bay. Also, a first attempt is made to relate the nutrients released from these sediments to the phytoplankton, the dominant primary producers of the bay

Interm Report of a pilot study to evaluate impacts to water quality and seagrass meadows from the green mussel (Perna viridis) invasion in Hillsborough Bay, Tampa Bay, Florida.

The green mussel (Perna viridis) was discovered in Tampa Bay in 1999 and was first noted as a biofouler at a power generating plant. This was apparently the first record of this species in the U.S. Since 1999, green mussels have been found throughout Tampa Bay and in other marine locations outside Tampa Bay on the west-coast of Florida (Benson et al. 2001; Benson et al. 2002). This report constitutes an interim report provided to the Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP) to describe progress on the project to date. A final project report, including a detailed discussion of study results, will be provided to the TBEP for possible inclusion in the next edition of the Baywide Environmental Monitoring Report (BEMR), expected to be published in 2005. Results from planned additional monitoring of the areal extent of green mussel beds near Catfish Point, and the potential impact of the beds on local water quality and seagrass condition, will be included in the final project report