Tampa Bay Interagency Seagrass Monitoring Program

These data provide consistent, place-based information to track changes in species abundance and frequency occurrence over time. Currently, 61 transects are monitored by local agencies participating in the TBISMP, including the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County (EPCHC), Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI, with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission), Hillsborough County Environmental Services (HCES), Manatee County Natural Resources Division (MCNRD), Pinellas County Department of Environmental Management (PCDEM), Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP), and Tampa Bay Watch (TBW).

The TBEP provides overall coordination of the monitoring program. Assessments conducted during the transect surveys include: (1) measurement of seagrass canopy height, evaluation of seagrass condition, short shoot densities (SSD) and percent coverage for all seagrass species present; (2) characterization of epiphytes observed on seagrass blades; (3) measurement of water depth where seagrass is present; (4) sediment type; and (5) density of all macroalgae species present.