2022 STATE OF THE BAY

Dr. Marcus Beck, , Kerry Flaherty-Walia

Tampa Bay Estuary Program

Feb, 2023

2022 SEAGRASS RESULTS

  • Baywide loss of 4,161 acres from 2020 to 2022
  • Third straight reporting period with loss

2022 SEAGRASS RESULTS: SEGMENT

  • Most losses in OTB and HB, OTB is lowest coverage on record

2022 SEAGRASS RESULTS: SEGMENT

  • Lower bay segments relatively stable

WATER QUALITY REPORT CARD

https://tbep-tech.github.io/wq-static/wq.pdf

Management

Regulatory

MANAGEMENT RESULTS

MANAGEMENT OUTCOMES

  • Matrix shows attainment of chlorophyll and light attenuation targets
  • All segments in 2022 as “Stay the Course”
  • More info at https://shiny.tbep.org/wq-dash/

CHLOROPHYLL BY SEASON

  • K. brevis observed in lower Tampa Bay late 2022

TAKE HOME

  • Hopeful that preliminary 2022 water quality is a beginning to longer-term improvements
  • Water quality in OTB has been highly variable, one good year does not mean a long-term improvement, key events may have been missed
  • Seagrasses may continue to decline - do we need to revisit our targets and thresholds?
  • Stick to our nitrogen load reduction efforts, but we need to act now and pursue other management actions

NEKTON RESULTS

  • Nekton index reports on the health of fish and inverts
  • Responds to water quality and habitat degradation
  • 2021 results show all but LTB as intermediate
  • More info at https://shiny.tbep.org/nekton-dash/

NEKTON RESULTS

  • 2021 drop in scores likely from red tide effects

BENTHIC RESULTS

  • Benthic index reports on the health of aquatic organisms in or near the bay bottom
  • Responds to pollutants that can accumulate in the sediment
  • 2021 results similar to previous years
  • More info at https://shiny.tbep.org/benthic-dash

2022 HABITAT RESTORATION

NUMBER OF PROJECTS: 2020-2022

HABITAT RESTORATION PRIORITIES


Focus on seagrass, oysters, salt marsh, freshwater wetlands

Uplands - protect existing habitat!

Mangroves expected to expand


Questions??


Marcus Beck,

Kerry Flaherty-Walia,

EXTRA SLIDES

2022 SEAGRASS RESULTS

Year Acres Change % change
2010 32897 3250.00 11%
2012 34642 1745.00 5%
2014 40295 5652.71 16%
2016 41655 1360.45 3%
2018 40652 -1003.61 -2%
2020 34298 -6353.55 -16%
2022 30137 -4161.00 -12%

SEAGRASS RATE OF RECOVERY

PYRODINIUM IN 2022?