Drought bad for your grass, good for seagrass

Tampa Bay, Florida - If mullet could express themselves, the fish smacking the water near Fort De Soto Park would be jumping for joy. The water quality of Tampa Bay is improving.

Bob Bigham's been fishing in the area for 30 years and he's noticed it. "You can go to a lot of the different bridges and fish; you can see farther down, so you know that the water's a lot clearer than it used to be," says Bigham.

But scientists like Kris Kaufman of the Southwest Florida Water Management District don't just depend on casual observances. She says seagrass beds are a good indicator of the Bay's health, because seagrasses need clear water to thrive.

For the past two years Kaufman's been using aerial photography, computer mapping and some good ol' splashing around to measure seagrass beds on Florida's west coast. "I've been sticking my face in the water quite a few places, from Boca Grande to Tarpon Springs. But we spend a lot of time in Tampa Bay."

And Kaufman's new report is good. Since 2006, Tampa Bay gained more than 1,300 acres of seagrass.

So why the growth spurt? Well, stricter pollution laws and all those blue skies we've been having play a part. "The drought conditions over the past two years have reduced the amount of runoff that's going into the bay," says Kaufman.

Seagrass beds are important for a variety of reasons. They provide habitat for fish, stabilize the bay's bottom and filter the water. So seagrass is good for marine life and our good life around Tampa Bay.

For more information on SWIFTMUD's Surface Water Improvement & Management (SWIM) program click here.

For an online boating and fishing guide of Tampa Bay including maps of seagrasses click here.