Abstract:
In 1998, a consortium of regional agencies initiated a seagrass monitoring program under the auspices of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP). Nearly sixty transects are visited each fall in order to document changes within seagrass communities found in the major subsections of Tampa Bay.
Transects generally start at the shoreline, extend seaward, and approach the seagrass restoration depths established by the TBEP for each bay subsection. Seagrass coverage along each transect is estimated at specific intervals using the Braun Blanquet rating criteria.
Data on species composition and zonation over a depth gradient may be used to assess restoration goals.
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