Seagrasses help stabilize shifting sands on the bay bottom and in turn improve water clarity by trapping fine sediments and particles with their leaves. Because of development near Tampa Bay and declining water quality, the number of seagrass beds there has dropped by 80 percent. Salt marshes are made up of a variety of grasses and grasslike plants such as rushes and sedges. Along the Gulf Coast, from Apalachicola Bay south to Tampa Bay these marshes are the main form of coastal vegetation. They protect and nourish many fish and animals such as shrimp, fish, crabs and oysters, reduce the amount of pollutants entering the estuary and prevent sediment from washing away.
Oyster beds make up a portion of the bay floor.
Oysters are immobile shellfish. Their irregular-shaped shells create bars or reefs where crabs and fish live. Unlike the marshes and seagrass, oyster beds are most prevalent in the freshwater areas of the bay, where they attract adult snook and redfish. All rights reserved.