Seagrass ecosystems perform critical roles in Tampa Bay. Seagrass beds serve as nursery grounds for both commercially and recreationally important species, such as Spotted Sea Trout and Red Drum. The seagrass blades offer juveniles and smaller species refuge from larger predators. Seagrass beds host a variety of small invertebrates, living both on the seagrass blades and within the sediments, which provide a food source for higher order organisms. Seagrasses themselves provide an essential food source for species such as Manatees and Green Sea Turtles. In addition, seagrasses help to reduce shoreline erosion by buffering storm surge and stabilizing sediments. Both the seagrass blades and root system work together to filter out and trap sediments and nutrients, which promotes better water quality.  Seagrasses need light to grow, and greater light penetration through the water column equates to healthier seagrass beds and a healthier bay.

Tampa Bay is home to five species of seagrass: Halodule wrightii (Shoal Grass), Syringodium filiforme (Manatee Grass), Thalassia testudinum (Turtle Grass), Ruppia maritima (Widgeon Grass), and Halophila engelmannii (Star Grass). The dominant species of seagrass can vary depending on location within the Bay.

Since 1998, EPC has been a contributing partner to the annual Tampa Bay Interagency Seagrass Monitoring Program (TBISP) hosted by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. 
For more information please see: The Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Tampa Bay

Seagrass Links

• Florida Department of Environmental Protection
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
• Southwest Florida Water Management District Seagrass Mapping
• Tampa Bay Estuary Program
• Tampa Bay Seagrass Transect Dashboard 
• Tampa Bay Watch

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