Michael Middlebrooks Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Tampa. He was recently awarded a grant from the Tampa Bay Environmental Restoration Fund to study how seagrass in Tampa Bay is being replaced by macroalgae called seagrass. CaulerpaTalked about seaweed and his research at WMNF’s Tuesday Café.
In 2018, the executive director of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program told St. Pete City Council that a breakthrough should be made in the Tampa Bay causeway to improve water flow and seagrass conditions. But the violation never happened.
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“Tampa Bay has been a really big success story in the seagrass world.
“Worldwide, seagrass is declining at tremendous levels almost everywhere. I think the latest estimate I read around the world was about 7% or a decline per year.
“This is similar to the rate of decline we see in coral reefs and rainforests, which is where the focus is. But we are seeing similar rates of decline.
“Tampa Bay has also declined quite significantly since the 1950s.
“There are many factors involved in this, but the success of Tampa Bay is fundamentally due to the many people – nonprofits, local governments and citizens working to improve the water quality of Tampa Bay. realized in collaboration with
“It took a lot of effort. So there was seagrass recovery.
“Improving water quality has made a big difference in seagrass revival. Not only did it return, it increased even more.
“That’s really good news at a time when it hasn’t happened anywhere else. So there’s a lot of success in Tampa. [Bay].
“Seagrass has been declining again in the last few years. We are still above very low levels. I still think. But we’re starting to see that decline.
“So that’s a concern. We don’t want to go back to the levels of the ’70s and ’80s when there was very little seagrass cover, a lot of other algae growing in Tampa Bay, and very poor water quality.”
-Michael Middlebrooks in WMNF
Watch an interview with UT Professor Michael Middlebrooks.
Arts4 All Florida
we also talked Carla Aguayoprogram director Arts for All Florida and their Youth Ensemble Coordinator, Matt Weimellerabout their Young Performers Program.
This is a statewide competition for disabled artists between the ages of 14 and 25. You can email Karla. [email protected]
Watch the Arts4AllFlorida interview:
WMNF Tuesday Cafe
WMNF’s Tuesday Café airs weekly starting at 10:06 am ET.
You can listen on 88.5 FM in Tampa Bay, wmnf.org, or the WMNF Community Radio app.
