Tampa Bay, wetlands, watershed and what you can do to make an impact.

You know our mission is to restore the bay every day, but what does that mean? Tampa Bay Watch is on a mission to restore the bay in a number of ways, but perhaps the most visible is through our work restoring coastal wetlands.  

What is a wetland?

Wetlands, a land covered by water – salt, fresh or somewhere in between, permanently or seasonally – are some of the most valuable and diverse ecosystems on the planet. 

Despite their significance, coastal wetlands in the Tampa Bay area have suffered immense damage, with more than 40% of these beneficial ecosystems lost.  

The Tampa Bay estuary spans 400 square miles, making it the largest estuary in the state of Florida.   

What is a watershed?  

A watershed is an area of land that drains water into a specific waterbody. The Tampa Bay watershed is more than five times the size of the Tampa Bay estuary, covering 2,200 square miles. There are three main challenges our watershed faces that affect the coastal wetlands in Tampa Bay: 

• Loss of Habitat: Due to development, there have been alterations or loss of coastal uplands and wetlands, lessening or causing a complete loss of habitat for diverse species. 

• Invasive Species: The spread of non-native animal and plant species can and have caused a significant change in ecosystems that play an important role in keeping our estuary healthy.  

• Water Quality: Degradation of water quality due to pollutants and nutrient loading has been detrimental to the Tampa Bay estuary.  

The good news! 

You can help bring these important habitats back to life. Tampa Bay Watch actively works each day to restore the bay. Through living shorelines that restore coastal wetland habitats and mitigate wave energy impacts, to educational programs that provide the public with important information about these eco-systems, we are actively working to restore these important habitats