2022 SEAGRASS AND WATER QUALITY RESULTS

Dr. Marcus Beck,

Tampa Bay Estuary Program

Feb 22, 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

REPORT CARD RESULTS

REGULATORY OUTCOMES

  • Matrix shows attainment of chlorophyll threshold (red/green only)
  • All segments in 2022 met the annual threshold
  • More info at https://shiny.tbep.org/wq-dash/

CHLOROPHYLL BY SEASON

  • K. brevis observed in lower Tampa Bay late 2022

WATER QUALITY DRIVERS

  • The water quality outcomes are based on chlorophyll and light attenuation
  • Past exceedances have been linked eutrophic conditions, sometimes caused by harmful algal blooms
  • Pyrodinium bahamense in Old Tampa Bay, red tide from Gulf

PYRODINIUM IN 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


Questions??


Marcus Beck,

EXTRA SLIDES

TARGET ATTAINMENT vs WORST CASE

SEAGRASS RATE OF RECOVERY

PYRO vs WATER QUALITY SAMPLING

Tampa Bay Nitrogen Management Consortium