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They are one of the best indicators of water quality in Tampa Bay… and they often go overlooked.  Seagrasses.  Between 1950 and 1980, the Bay lost nearly half of the important underwater grasses.  Starting in 1980, waste water treatment plants reduced the amount of nitrogen they released into the Bay, and the water began to clear.  Since the grasses need light, when the water was cloudy, they actually retreated toward shore.  The sea grasses are an important indicator because they serve as nurseries for fish and manatees use it as a food source.  Right now, we are seeing about an increase of 400 acres a year of these grasses.  There is no other place in the United States that has seen this kind of recovery!  Thanks to the waste water treatment plants, local government actions, and people in their backyards, we are seeing the Bay as clear as it was in 1950.

To find out how you can help continue this recovery, log on to the Tampa Bay Estuary Program website.