SPRING 2013 BAYSOUNDINGS.COM You Can Help Save Frogs Page 8-9 BaySoundingsCOVERING THE TAMPA BAY WATERSHED No ocean is free of plastic – and neither is Tampa Bay The majority of Tampa Bay’s beau- tiful beaches are regularly cleaned and manicured. While this is great for tour- ism, it means we remain blissfully un- PERILSOF aware of the vast quantities of refuse we are leaving behind in paradise. And de- spite our best efforts at hiding the trash, that pesky plastic is still finding its way PLASTIC into Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Major sources locally include: By Sigrid Tidmore one mile deep carrying 100+ million tons and waves, plastic breaks into minute • Storm drain trash is, for the most of plastic? The National Oceanic and particles and moves into solution. When our nonprofit organization, part, the small stuff: straws, coffee Atmospheric Administration estimates Beginning in 2010, scientists at the Community Stepping Stones, won a stirrers, lighters, beverage bottles, that today every square kilometer of sea Algalita Marine Research Foundation Tampa Bay Estuary Program mini-grant caps, lids, plastic cutlery, food wrap- contains 46,000 pieces of plastic. In the began investigating the suspended mass 18 months ago, we embarked upon an pers, the plastic casings of shot gun adventure that has literally changed past ten years the amount of plastic in of plastic in the Pacific Ocean compared shells, 6-pack holders, cigarette our lives. Our students participate in our oceans has tripled, and it’s predicted to the mass of zooplankton. One small butts, etc. For example, the City of an after-school program for at-risk to double again in the next ten years. study found six pounds of particulate St. Petersburg has more than 1,300 teens in Sulphur Springs. Located on Where does the trash come from? plastic for every one pound of plankton. storm drains that each dump four the Hillsborough River, our campus is Approximately 80% washes from the This incredible plastic displacement of to seven pounds of light plastic into at the head waters of the estuary, so our land down into our waterways. The tiny organisms means animals higher up surface waters with every downpour. idea was to collect river, bay and beach rest blows off or is dumped by ships. the food chain are likely to ingest non- That equates to 4.5 tons of plastic ev- debris to use in a mosaic that spoke to Americans annually generate 10.5 mil- nutritious synthetic matter accidentally. ery time it rains – and that’s only St. our common waterway. We had no lion tons of plastic waste and recycle less “Plankton is the foundation of the Pete! idea that our research would lead us to than 25%. Eventually, about 50% of all ocean’s food chain,” says Dr. Bridgette • Recreational trash, primarily from a face-to-face encounter with one of the plastics generated globally end up in the Froeschke, an oceanographer and mi- beach activities, contributes approxi- most dangerous threats to our planet. ocean. crobiologist at the USF Florida Center mately 36.7% of litter found in the “When you throw something away, The insidious nature of these whirl- for Community Design and Research. water, according to a University of exactly where is away?” pools isn’t the big, chunky pieces of “When massive quantities of plastic Plymouth study. Local contributions You may have heard of the Great Pa- debris as much as it is the pulverized are part of the ecosystem, filter feed- include everything mentioned cific gyre – that floating garbage patch plastic particles which are entering the ers from whales to oysters are unable above, plus festival beads, diapers in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. But bottom of the food chain at an alarming to discriminate their intake. The result and syringes. Fishermen add bait did you realize there are now five ocean rate. It takes up to 700 years for plastic is a break-down in their energy intake, Perils of Plastic gyres, each over 1,500 miles wide and to decompose, but when exposed to sun which obviously affects their health.” Continued on page 10 tion Agency, the University of South and policy manager for the estuary Florida, the Tampa Bay Estuary Pro- program. “Atmospheric deposition Air Pollution Tops Other Sources gram and other federal, state and local comes from a wide variety of sources environmental agencies. – including cars, power plants, fertil- The research quantified the sources izer plants, airplanes, agricultural op- of Contamination in Tampa Bay and relative contributions of air pollu- erations, lawn mowers, and even light- tion, also known as atmospheric depo- ning. Determining where it comes More than half the nitrogen en- The recently completed research, sition, to Tampa Bay. It also examined from and how it gets to Tampa Bay was tering Tampa Bay is coming from air called the Bay Region Atmospheric the potential effects of existing and like a giant chemistry experiment.” pollution, primarily from cars and Chemistry Experiment (BRACE), proposed air quality regulations on ni- Overall, power plants and industries power plants, according to important compiles data from a landmark multi- trogen loadings to Tampa Bay. are responsible for the bulk of the air research conducted by a regional team year study that involved scientists “It’s a very complex study,” said Air Pollution of scientists. from the U.S. Environmental Protec- Lindsay Cross, environmental science Continued on page 12 Bay Soundings | Spring 2013 | www.baysoundings.com 1 PROFILE DIVE Meet Jim Igler: IN! Super Volunteer Explore Tampa Bay’s magnificent waterworld and watershed with Bay Soundings, a quarterly news journal If you’ve ever volunteered to help improve Tam- covering Florida’s largest open-water estuary. Bay pa Bay’s ecosystems, you’ve probably met Jim Igler. Soundings chronicles the news and issues affecting the He’s the guy who has a near-perfect attendance bay, while profiling the people, places and creatures that record at the Tampa Bay Estuary Program’s Give make it so compelling. Thanks to generous community support, Bay Soundings is distributed free of charge to a Day for the Bay events. Or you may have seen local and national subscribers. Interested readers may him pulling abandoned crab traps with Tampa subscribe online at www.baysoundings.com or send an Bay Watch, or cleaning up underwater trash with email to [email protected]. Bulk copies also Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful. He leads Green Team are available for distribution through area attractions, at the Florida Aquarium and is the volunteer dive schools, businesses and civic organizations. team leader, working to restore local coral reefs and Jim Igler participates in dozens of clean-up events in TALK BACK maintain the aquarium’s shark tanks. Other days, Tampa Bay every year, including a recent derelict crab We welcome letters to the editor on topics covered in he’s helping to build “love boats” where least terns trap removal event sponsored by Tampa Bay Watch. Bay Soundings as well as articles or story ideas on issues can lay their eggs at Fort DeSoto, repairing historic impacting Tampa Bay and the region’s natural resources. structures on Egmont Key or pushing efforts to canal, he put down rip-rap so mangroves can grow Send letters to [email protected]. make the Gasparilla parade more eco-friendly. along the water’s edge, creating habitat for juvenile SEND US YOUR NEWS He’s also the guy who won the most prestigious fish, crabs and birds. When his central air condi- We’re always interested in news about community award given by one of the nation’s most respected tioner conked out two years ago, he opened his win- organizations involved in Tampa Bay, and our calendar organizations, Keep America Beautiful’ s Iron Eyes dows and learned to live without it. His next home page highlights upcoming bay-related events and Cody Award, named for the 1970s “Crying Indian” project is setting up a chicken coop – made from activities. Send news to [email protected]. advertising campaign that helped recycled materials he’s collecting now HELP YOURSELF kick off the country’s fledgling en- – so he can harvest his own eggs. If you see an article in Bay Soundings that you would like vironmental movement. In fact, the best part of winning to include in another publication, help yourself. All we “Jim Igler’s passion for the en- an important national award is the ask is that the story appears with the following credit: vironment shines a bright light on credibility it gives him as he con- “Reprinted with permission from Bay Soundings.” Photos, many coastal Florida communi- tinues his campaign to make Tampa however, may not be reprinted without express written permission. ties,” said Matt McKenna, presi- Bay a better place. “It will be a great dent of Keep America Beautiful. platform,” he says. “People are much “He’s a true hero, an inspiration to more likely to listen to me now.” BAYSOUNDINGS.COM the Tampa Bay community as well For instance, he’d like to see the as to all of us.” final float at the Gasparilla parade BaySoundingsCOVERING THE TAMPA BAY WATERSHED It didn’t start out that way. set up to collect and recycle beads Raised on a Pennsylvania dairy and bottles – instead of diving off editor farm, Igler earned a degree in vo- Bayshore to clean up the petroleum- Allan Horton Victoria Parsons Freelance Writer Igler, left, accepts Keep America cational agriculture from Okla- based plastic trash. And new regula- Robin Lewis Beautiful's most prestigious award design & graphics homa State University before he tions that require every new home McShane Communications Lewis Environmental Services from the organization's president, in Florida to be outfitted with solar Amy Harroun realized that driving a truck paid website design more money than teaching – and Matthew M.