SIMM Program Report No. 2 Summary Report for the Charlotte Harbor Region Yarbro & Carlson Summary Report for the Charlotte Harbor Region Contacts: Melynda Brown, Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves Kristen Kaufman, Southwest Florida Water Management District Barbara Welch and Beth Orlando, South Florida Water Management District Judy Ott, Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program Seagrass Integrated Mapping and Monitoring Program Mapping and Monitoring Report Version 2.0 FWRI Technical Report TR-17 2016 Edited by Laura A. Yarbro and Paul R. Carlson Jr. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute 100 Eighth Avenue Southeast St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 USA 1 SIMM Program Report No. 2.0 Summary Report for the Charlotte Harbor region Yarbro & Carlson Summary Report for the Charlotte Harbor Region Including Lemon Bay, Charlotte Harbor, Cape Haze, Pine Island Sound, Matlacha Pass, and the Caloosahatchee River estuary Contacts: Melynda Brown, Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves (monitoring); Kristen Kaufman, Southwest Florida Water Management District, and Barbara Welch and Beth Orlando, South Florida Water Management District (mapping); and Judy Ott, Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (management) General assessment: Seagrass acreage in (SFWMD), and seagrasses increased by the Charlotte Harbor region has increased 3,283 acres (8%) between 2008 and 2014. in recent years. Acreage increased since Seagrass-based water quality targets were 2008, with recovery from the 2004–2005 developed throughout the Charlotte Harbor hurricanes. In 2008, 61,506 acres were region based on seagrass light mapped throughout the region, and in 2014 requirements, water depth at the deep edge seagrasses covered 67,720 acres. Overall, of seagrass beds, and historical acreage of seagrass acreage increased by about 6,200 seagrass. Human development, with the acres or 10%. In the northern part of the resulting impacts of increasing nutrients region, under the jurisdiction of the and turbidity in coastal waters, is a threat to Southwest Florida Water Management seagrass beds. Propeller scarring continues District (SWFWMD), seagrasses are to affect seagrass beds throughout the mapped every two years, and acreage has region; beds in Pine Island Sound and increased since 2008 (Table 1). In the Matlacha Pass in Lee County have southern sub-region, seagrasses were experienced the most severe damage. In mapped in 2006, 2008, and 2014 by the these two regions, 21,507 acres of seagrass South Florida Water Management District beds have been scarred by propellers. General Status of Seagrasses in the Charlotte Harbor Region Status and stressors Status Trend Assessment, causes Seagrass acreage Green Increasing Improvements since 2008 Water clarity Yellow Local declines Affected by runoff, storms Moderate 2004, 2005 hurricanes, and Natural events Yellow impacts freshwater influences Propeller scarring Red Increasing Increased boating Geographic extent: This chapter includes Island Sound, Matlacha Pass, San Carlos Lemon Bay, located between the Sarasota Bay, and the tidal reaches of the Myakka, Bay region and Charlotte Harbor, Charlotte Caloosahatchee and Peace rivers (Figures 1 Harbor, Gasparilla Sound, Cape Haze, Pine and 2). The region is managed through both 2 SIMM Program Report No. 2.0 Summary Report for the Charlotte Harbor region Yarbro & Carlson the aquatic preserve program of the Florida this region (those in Charlotte and Sarasota Department of Environmental Protection’s counties, including Lemon Bay, Upper (FDEP) Florida Coastal Office and the Charlotte Harbor, Peace River, Myakka Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program River, Gasparilla Sound, and Cape Haze) (CHNEP). The Charlotte Harbor Aquatic fall in the jurisdiction of the SWFWMD. The Preserves extend from Lemon Bay and the southern estuaries (in Lee County), tidal Peace and Myakka rivers to Pine including Lower Charlotte Harbor, Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass. The Island Sound, Matlacha Pass, San Carlos CHNEP includes these estuaries, all of Bay, and the tidal Caloosahatchee River are Charlotte Harbor, and, to the south, Estero in the jurisdiction of the SFWMD. Bay. In addition, the northern estuaries of Figure 1 Seagrass in Lemon Bay and northern Charlotte Harbor, 2014. Data and shapefiles from SWFWMD. 3 SIMM Program Report No. 2 Summary Report for the Charlotte Harbor Region Yarbro & Carlson Figure 2 Seagrass in southern Charlotte Harbor, 2008. Data and shapefiles from SFWMD. Mapping and Monitoring Continue annual fall monitoring by Recommendations staff of the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves to evaluate changes in Continue biennial aerial seagrass species composition and photography, photo-interpretation, abundance, and water depth at the and mapping by SWFWMD for deep edge of seagrass beds. Lemon Bay and northern Charlotte Update the map of propeller Harbor and by SFWMD for southern scarring in Charlotte Harbor Charlotte Harbor to evaluate trends (Madley, et al. 2004) to assess trends in seagrass acreage. in scarring and recovery. Management and Restoration tools. For more accurate assessment Recommendations and management, bay waters are divided into segments having As part of the regional management generally homogeneous water plan, evaluate water quality and quality and seagrass conditions light attenuation annually using (Figure 3). Within each segment, available region-specific models and 4 SIMM Program Report No. 2.0 Summary Report for the Charlotte Harbor region Yarbro & Carlson water quality results are compared scarring and evaluate the with seagrass mapping and effectiveness of the No Internal monitoring data every other year. Combustion Motor Zones in Pine Assess effects of development on Island Sound and the Pole and Troll storm runoff. zone near Blind Pass, once they have Implement a region-wide program been implemented. with the goal of decreasing propeller Figure 3 Estuary segments used for seagrass water quality analyses. Summary assessment: Overall, seagrass throughout the sub-estuaries of the acreage has declined from historical levels Charlotte Harbor region decreased from in the mid-20th century due to development 63,279 to 61,506 acres or -2.8%. Losses and dredge-and-fill operations in coastal during this period occurred in sub-regions waters. In the last ten years, seagrass most affected by storm runoff from the 2004 acreage has increased overall, despite short- tropical cyclones: the tidal portions of the term losses due to runoff from the Myakka and Peace rivers, the eastern hurricanes and tropical storms in 2004. portions of Charlotte Harbor, as well as in From 2006 to 2008, seagrass acreage Pine Island Sound. Since 2008, seagrass 5 SIMM Program Report No. 2.0 Summary Report for the Charlotte Harbor region Yarbro & Carlson beds in all sub-regions have expanded, from quadrats that are devoid of seagrasses has 61,506 to 67,720 acres or 10%. Field decreased by 50% since 2005. Factors that monitoring studies indicate that seagrass affect water clarity, such as turbidity, color, meadow texture and species composition and chlorophyll-a concentration, are a vary, especially among sub-estuaries. Since concern in some sub-estuaries and 2005, the abundance of shoalgrass (Halodule watersheds. Propeller scarring is present wrightii) and turtlegrass (Thalassia throughout the study area and is testudinum) has increased, while the particularly severe in Pine Island Sound abundance of manateegrass (Syringodium and Matlacha Pass, where 44% of the 21,507 filiforme) has remained stable at about 10% propeller-scarred acres are classified as (Table 2). The number of monitored severely impacted. Seagrass Status and Potential Stressors in the Charlotte Harbor Region Status indicators Status Trend Assessment, causes Seagrass cover Green Increasing Runoff, nutrients Annual changes; 50% Seagrass meadow texture Yellow Changing decrease in bare areas since 2005 Increase in 2 most Seagrass species composition Green Fairly Stable common species since 2005 Overall seagrass trends Green Improving Drought 2006–2010 Seagrass stressors Intensity Impact Explanation Water clarity Yellow Local declines Affected by runoff and Nutrients Yellow Increasing storms Phytoplankton Yellow Increasing Macroalgae, epiphytic growth Yellow Local declines Under investigation Freshwater runoff Yellow Local declines Increased storminess Moderate Natural events Yellow 2004–2005 hurricanes impact Propeller scarring Red Increasing Increased boating Seagrass mapping assessment: The southern Charlotte Harbor, mapping data distribution of seagrass beds in the are from 2008 (Figure 2); acreage data have Charlotte Harbor region is shown in Figures been publicly released by the SFWMD, but 1 and 2. In northern Charlotte Harbor, the shapefiles for drawing maps are not yet mapping data are from photo-interpretation available. From 2006 to 2008, seagrass of imagery collected in 2014 (Figure 1). In acreage decreased by 1,773 acres, or 2.8%, 6 SIMM Program Report No. 2.0 Summary Report for the Charlotte Harbor region Yarbro & Carlson throughout the Charlotte Harbor region and Peace rivers had the greatest (Table 1), likely because of continuing percentage increase between 2008 and 2014, impacts on water clarity from the 2004 by 93 acres or 42%, and by 443 acres and tropical cyclones. Not all areas experienced 131%, respectively. The greatest increase in seagrass loss during this time, however: the area (2,030 acres) over the same period western part of Charlotte Harbor, Placida,