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Seagrasses: Underwater Food Factories

Seagrasses: Underwater Food Factories. A Tampa Bay Example of a Food Web. Seagrasses: So What Are They?. Seagrasses are flowering underwater plants Found at shallow depths in estuaries: bays and lagoons with good water quality

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Seagrasses: Underwater Food Factories

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  1. Seagrasses: Underwater Food Factories A Tampa Bay Example of a Food Web

  2. Seagrasses: So What Are They? • Seagrasses are flowering underwater plants • Found at shallow depths in estuaries: bays and lagoons with good water quality • What are some reasons that these plants can grow only in shallow water? Leaves Flowers Rhizome (underground stem) Source: http://tbep.org/portrait/habitats.html Line drawing of Manatee grass (Syringodium filiforme)

  3. They grow in shallow water because... • Seagrasses require good water clarity and quality to survive. • They possess structures similar to terrestrial plants like roots, leaves and flowers. • They need sunlight to penetrate the water in order to perform photosynthesis.

  4. 3 Types of Seagrasses in Tampa Bay • turtle grass (yes, sea turtles eat it!) • shoal grass (usually the first species to appear) • manatee grass (yes, manatees love it!) Pictures from http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/habitats/seagrass/awareness/healthy_images.htm

  5. So, Why are Seagrass Beds Important? • As a nursery environment, seagrasses support small fish, shrimp, and crabs that hide among the blades and feast on decaying leaves. • They help stabilize shifting sands on the bottom of the bay. • They improve water clarity by trapping fine sediments and particles.

  6. The Decline of Seagrass Beds • After 1950, the seagrass beds in Tampa Bay seriously declined. • The major reason for decline in seagrass beds is probably water pollution. • As a class, list reasons why water pollution in Tampa Bay would increase after 1950.

  7. Reasons Why Water Pollution Would Increase • Population increased; more garbage, sewage dumped into bay • More people lived near the Bay; more workplaces built • More cars, trucks -- air pollution (mercury, NOx, lead ends up in water) • Oil, gasoline spills from cargo ships • Port of Tampa receives more cargo ships (sewage, garbage and fuel spills from ships) • More nitrogen entered the bay: • Sewage treatment plants were not like today (untreated sewage common in bay) • Industries dumped chemically polluted waste directly into water • No real government control of water pollution before 1972

  8. Compare the Seagrass Beds 40,420 ac in 1950 26,920 ac in 1996

  9. It Takes a Lot of People to Clean Up The Bay! • The Tampa Bay Estuary Program was established in 1991. • Group coordinates the protection and restoration of the bay (including seagrass beds). • The group is a partnership consisting of: • 3 counties: Hillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas • 3 cities: Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater • Government Agencies: • Southwest Florida Water Management District • Florida Department of Environmental Protection • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency • Citizen groups and industries are active as well.

  10. A Big Improvement • Improvements in water quality have fueled steady gains in seagrass recovery • Tampa Bay is now gaining about 500 acres of seagrass a year, and has about 29,647 acres baywide as of 2008 • The goal is to get to 38,000 acres

  11. Seagrass Change Through The Years

  12. Life in a Tampa Bay Seagrass Bed • Bacteria, Fungi • Algae • Invertebrates • Fish • Reptiles • Birds • Mammals

  13. Life in a Tampa Bay Seagrass Bed • Bacteria, Fungi • Decompose seagrass leaves • Algae • Grows on seagrass leaves, becomes detritus • Invertebrates • Fish • Reptiles • Birds • Mammals

  14. Life in a Tampa Bay Seagrass Bed • Bacteria, Fungi • Algae • Invertebrates – scallops, crabs • Fish – snook, sharks • Reptiles – sea turtles • Birds – wading birds • Mammals - manatees

  15. Watch “Seagrasses: Underwater Food Factories” On the Tampa Bay: Living Legacy DVD

  16. Your Assignment • Create a color postcard describing (in pictures and/or words) a food chain or web using Tampa Bay aquatic life. Begin with sunlight and seagrass, and include examples of: Bacteria/fungi Reptiles Algae Birds Invertebrates Mammals Fish • Use the Life in a Tampa Bay Seagrass Bed info sheet • Label (or list) the producers, carnivores, omnivores, herbivores, decomposers on your postcard.

  17. Your Assignment (continued) • Answer the following questions on the back of your postcard: • Fishing in Tampa Bay became less productive after 1950 because of poor water quality. List three factors and explain how these factors caused poor water quality in Tampa Bay. • What would you expect to happen if all the plants on your postcard died? Explain your answer.

  18. Bibliography • Tampa Bay Estuary Program Http://www.TBEP.org • Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary http://Floridakeys/noaa.gov • Florida Department of Environmental Protection http://www.dep.state.fl.us • Ichthyology at the Florida Museum of Natural History • http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/southflorida

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