For the most part, the answer is yes. One of the most encouraging trends, Lester said, was the number of successful habitat restoration projects in the Galveston Bay watershed. Lester also finds encouragement in trends among the bay's shellfish and finfish populations. Most of the big fish seem to be doing OK, but some experts are concerned that the average concentration of chlorophyll-a in the bay fell by more than 75 percent between 1972 and 1998, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. That's an issue because the amount of chlorophyll-a indicates how many phytoplankton are in the water.
Phytoplankton are microscopic algae and bacteria that feed some fish and birds.
Lester said the bay's best allies may be those who live nearby and upstream who now use fewer toxic chemicals and don't dump such things as motor oil into storm drains. E.W. Scripps Publications , All Rights Reserved. Site users are subject to our User Agreement . We also have a Privacy Policy .