Long-term monitoring of water quality and biological indicators In Hillsborough Bay, Tampa Bay, Florida

The Bay . study Group of the City of Tampa has conducted an extensive monitoring program of water quality and various biological indicator organisms in Hillsborough Bay and Middle Tampa Bay since 1978 (Figure 1). Hillsborough Bay has generally had the poorest water quality of the Tampa Bay subsections. The monitoring program started as a comprehensive study of phytoplankton productivity and standing crop to evaluate anticipated future effects of domestic wastewater pollution abatement as the City of Tampa converted its wastewater treatment process from primary to state of the art nitro~en removal. The Bay stud¥ Group is the only organization work1ng with Tampa Bay which ma1ntains a long-term record of primary production (C-14) (Figure 2) and detailed phytoplankton taxonomic composition