Water quality criteria for seagrass protection in Sarasota Bay - design of a project. Draft report.

Abstract

The goal of this project was to protect and restore adopted seagrass targets in Sarasota Bay, Florida. In order to do this, an optical model and empirical analytical approach was taken to allow the prediction of needed water quality criteria and provide a robust management tool for Sarasota Bay. An existing spectral optical model will be enhanced to include epiphytic attenuation and photosynthetic efficiency, providing a physiological basis to refine seagrass light requirements. Attenuators will be linked to the optimum combination of nutrient concentrations, nutrient loadings, physical and chemical parameters, allowing management scenarios for nutrient reduction to be evaluated efficiently. After development, the model will incorporate monitoring data and allow water quality target compliance evaluation to be conducted with conventional water quality parameters.