San Carlos Bay 111913 Melynda Brown Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves What is Seagrass 11182013 2 Vascular Photosynthetic Occurs in tropical and temperate waters Species adapted to variety of environmental conditions ID: 743801
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Slide1
Florida Coastal Office
Seagrass
San Carlos Bay
11/19/13
Melynda Brown- Charlotte Harbor Aquatic PreservesSlide2
What is Seagrass
11/18/20132
Vascular
Photosynthetic
Occurs in
tropical and temperate
waters
Species adapted to variety of environmental conditions
Indicator SpeciesSlide3
Benefits of Seagrass
11/18/20133
Improves
water quality and stabilizes sedimentNutrient and carbon cycling- higher than rainforests
Provides shelter, nursery and food source for 90% of commercial and recreational important fisheriesSlide4
Value of Seagrass
~2.2 million acres of seagrass in Florida waters,
Provide ecological services worth over 40 billion each year (Carlson and Yarbro, 2009). = $20,000 per acre of seagrassA recent study for Pine Island Sound/SWFL
(Beever 2012) found that continuous seagrass Total Economic Value was $93,829/ acre.
11/18/2013
4Slide5
Common SWFL Species
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Halodule wrightii
(Shoal grass)
Thalassia
testudinum
(Turtle grass)
Syringodium filiforme
(Manatee grass)Slide6
Seagrass Monitoring
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Charlotte Harbor AP:-Began in 1999-50 transects-Annually; Aug-Oct.Slide7
Seagrass Monitoring
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DEP South District EAR
:-3 River transects began in 2001-3 CHAP transects since 2008 -Quarterly: Feb, May, August and NovemberSlide8
Stressors to Seagrass
Boat traffic- waves and
propscars High flow- erosion/sedimentationTidal
exposureTemperature optimal 20-30oC (68-86
oF) Zieman 1982
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8Slide9
Stressors to Seagrass
Light availability: depends on color, turbidity, chlorophyll levels
11/18/20139Slide10
Effects of stressors
High Nutrient Loading: increase in algae blooms decrease in seagrass
abundance11/18/201310
SCCFSlide11
Nutrient Loading and
Seagrass Production11/18/2013
11Slide12
Stressors to Seagrass
Salinity Levels- varies by species
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Decreased light
High salinity
Decreased salinity
Decreased light
Sparse
T. testudinum
S. fliforme
H. wrightii
Dense
T. testudinum
From
Greenawalt
et. al. 2004Slide13
Seagrass
Abundance by Region11/18/2013
13Slide14
Mean Abundance in San Carlos Bay vs. Annual S-79 Flow
NEW GRAPH!!11/18/2013
14Slide15
Site Specific Data
11/18/201315Slide16
Low salinities: decreased
seagrass abundances and species shifts 11/18/2013
16
Hurricane Wilma/
highest flowsSlide17
SC03 Density
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3,600
Hurricane Wilma/highest flowsSlide18
Conclusions & Next Steps
Goal: abundant and diverse seagrass beds
High flow can cause variable salinities in estuaries, leads to decrease in abundance or species shifts and lossSalinity driven or other contributing factors?Combine all water quality and seagrass data for bigger picture view of affects
11/18/201318Slide19
Thank You
Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves12301 Burnt Store RdPunta Gorda, FL 33955
11/18/201319