Trend analysis of water quality data for the Sarasota Bay National Estuary Program.

Abstract

The objective of this project was to conduct trend analyses of water quality data between January 1, 1968 - December 31, 1998 from Sarasota Bay, Florida. The goal was to determine if the values of selected parameters in a defined geographic region had changed with respect to time. Analyses was done on data grouped by 17 Sarasota Bay segments which extended from Bay waters to about three nautical miles offshore. Some of the parameters included salinity, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, water clarity, color, nitrogen and phosphorus species, chlorophylls, total and volatile solids, biochemical oxygen demand, and selected trace metals.