ALGAE DECLINES IN LOCAL WATERWAYS
Thanks to an encouraging report from the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP), we have learned that the amount of algae in the water column in our local waterways has declined dramatically from 2017 to 2023. Some examples include:
Upper Sarasota Bay -40%
Lower Sarasota Bay -41%
Roberts Bay -59%
Palma Sola Bay -20%
NOTE: The above figures were derived from a SBEP chart showing the average amount of algal growth in the water column of each waterbody as expressed in units of the photosynthetic plant pigment Chlorophyll-a.
Not all of the waterbodies had straight declines in the measured time period as Little Sarasota Bay and Roberts Bay had upticks in algal growth in 2022 associated with impacts from Hurricane Ian. However, the numbers shown above are the difference in the measured units in 2017 and 2023.
The SBEP report goes on to help explain why the water quality improved so much in recent years. This includes the major $300 Million investment in upgrading infrastructure like Manatee County’s wastewater process, Sarasota County’s movement to Advanced Wastewater Treatment at the Bee Ridge plant and stormwater retrofits for 5,000 acres of the Sarasota Bay Estuary in Hudson Bayou and the wetlands at Bobby Jones Park.
Despite this encouraging news there is more work to be done because the major rain events in 2024, particularly from Hurricane Debby, will probably negatively impact the water quality in The Bay and the SBEP is very concerned about the impact of warmer water from climate change on the duration of red tide blooms. We will address that issue in next month’s E-Newsletter.