Source: South Florida Water Management District
Since 2021 Dave Tomasko, Executive Director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, has released Report Cards on the state of Sarasota Bay based on four key criteria:
The amount of nitrogen in the water column
The amount of phytoplankton in the water (floating microscopic plants)
The amount of macroalgae sampled at over 500 locations
And the latest (2024) seagrass maps
In his latest update on the Bay’s health, Dave reports that since 2020 the Bay had improved water quality with less nitrogen, lower levels of phytoplankton and macroalgae and the slide in seagrass coverage has stopped. In fact, in the last two years he reports that the amount of seagrass coverage in The Bay actually increased by 19%.
What caused this impressive turnaround? Dave attributes the improvements to the upgrading of our wastewater infrastructure, the completion of large stormwater retrofits projects in Phillippi Creek and Hudson Bayou and increasing public awareness of how people can reduce their nutrient footprint in our waterways.
He also pointed out that nutrient levels increased in 2024 in Roberts, Little Sarasota and Blackburn Bays which bore the brunt of June’s record-setting hourly rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby, the huge storm surge from Hurricane Helene, and the landfall on Siesta Key of Category 3 Hurricane Milton.
Despite these storm-related setbacks, it is good to learn that the Bay is recovering in most areas and should be able to handle future weather impacts without collapsing.
Photo Source: South Florida Water Management District