Summertime in the Bay
Summer has arrived! While there’s no big seasonal shortage of sunshine here in Tampa Bay, summer is still a special time to be outdoors. Whether you’re doing something fun or relaxing, soaking up some vitamin D in the bay’s blue and green spaces is a great way to boost your mental health and overall well-being. Just be sure to monitor the heat and UV index so you can protect yourself from getting too much sun or from overheating.
Heat waves don’t just affect people. Plants and animals are also impacted and marine heat waves can be especially harmful to underwater ecosystems. That’s why we’ve been monitoring temperature during the summer months in Old Tampa Bay. The seagrass in this shallow section of Tampa Bay has been slower to recover from declines compared to other sections of the bay and as part of figuring out why, we’re investigating the impact of marine heatwaves.
Summer is a particularly important season for you to do your part to help seagrasses. First off, if you’re a boater, Be Seagrass Safe. That means being aware of seagrass habitat and taking measures to make sure you don’t damage this fragile, and important ecosystem. Doing so will also protect your boat from costly damages. Win-win!
You can even Be Seagrass Safe from home. How? Be Floridian! The summer rains that cool you down and replenish a parched earth also wash away clippings and chemicals from your lawn. That’s why we recommend you skip the yardwork and spend more time relaxing and having fun outdoors instead.
Speaking of yardwork, the extra moisture during summer probably means your lawn is growing faster (i.e., you’re probably needing to mow more). Now’s a good time to remember that you’re protecting seagrass when you don’t blow grass clippings into the street where it could enter storm drains then wash into the bay as part of stormwater runoff.
The increased rain in the summer also means that anything that’s hanging around in your yard or in drainages, like the street, could get into and hurt the bay through stormwater. Pet poop, trash, and pesticides are just the start. You can protect the health of the bay and your community by learning about and committing to good stormwater stewardship.
On that note, June 1 marked the start of hurricane season. While the National Weather Service has predicted lower than average tropical activity, like they say, it only takes one. Following the recommendations of Be Seagrass Safe, Be Floridian, and being a stormwater steward sets estuarine ecosystems up to be more resilient to large storms.
We hope you have a great summer (HAGS anyone?) full of fun and enjoyment of this special place we call home. If you’d like to learn more about the initiatives mentioned in this piece, see their respective linked webpages and in-depth coverage below.
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