Muck buildup harming Tampa Bay
Kathryn Bursch
On a Friday morning pontoon boat cruise, staff from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP) showed 10 Connects an ugly danger down below.
Marine biologist Ed Sherwood dropped a shovel device into the waters of Old Tampa Bay. And what he pulled from the bottom is a smelly mess.
"It's the consistency of chocolate pudding," says Sherwood, feeling the muck between his fingers.
The muck is basically crustacean poop, and there's a lot of it. It's three feet deep in places. The muck is depleting oxygen, driving away fish and creating a near dead zone.
"We're approaching that tipping point where the system might crash," says Sherwood.
So what's causing this muck to run amok? Research shows that nitrogen fertilizer running off lawns is to blame and that's why the TBEP is urging local governments to adopt a rainy season fertilizer ban.
"It's always, always cheaper to prevent pollution than clean it up after the fact," says Nanette O'Hara, spokeswoman for the agency charged with keeping tabs on the health of the bay.
Besides fertilizer, humans have helped muck up Tampa Bay in other ways. For example, the Courtney Campbell Causeway hampers the natural water flow of the bay. In the future, some re-engineering (like adding more culverts or bridges) could help.
After research by USF scientists, the muck is no longer a mystery. But without change it will continue to be Tampa Bay's misery.
www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx