06/16/2026
TBEP and partners have been monitoring seagrasses in Tampa Bay since the 90s. From our in-the-water transect survey sites and from the SWFWMD’s aerial photo mapping project, it's safe to say we know a lot about seagrasses—where they're getting healthier, where they might be in trouble, which species grow where, etc. But we aren't omniscient. That's where you come in. If you've noticed changes in the seagrass at a location in the bay, we want to hear from you. Especially if it's somewhere you've been visiting for years.
In fact, in direct response to angler reports of changes to seagrass cover, we're adding a new transect survey location for the first time since we started monitoring seagrasses. When we got these reports, we didn't have a survey site near enough to know what was going on in this new location to be able to address the anglers' concerns. So, we did what we do best, we partnered with Suncoast Waterkeeper and the City of Holmes Beach Clean Water Committee to set up a new transect survey site to be able to track changes to seagrass cover. It'll take a few years to identify changes at the new site, but we can compare seagrass cover and make-up at this new site to the rest of the bay this season.
Have you noticed changes in seagrass cover or make-up somewhere in the bay? While we can't set-up new transect sites at every location (we wish we could!), we will look into it. It's possible we already know or can infer what's going on in your spot, and it's possible we don't and will want to investigate.
