Environmental Quality Report : Pensacola Bay

Methodology: The water samples will be collected utilizing sterile plastic water bottles from Lake Tarpon. The location the samples will be collected from is Anderson Park, by the boat docks, located at 39669 U.S. 19, Tarpon Springs, FL 34689. The water samples will be brought to Tarpon Springs High School to be tested, located at 1411 Gulf Rd, Tarpon Springs, FL 34689. The phosphate, nitrate, and dissolved oxygen levels will be tested utilizing various LaMotte water testing kits,

It is their home, their thriving place. According to the National WIldlife Federation, ¨The Bay supports 3,600 species of plant and animal life, including more than 300 fish species and 2,700 plant types.”. Not only does the wildlife depend on the bay, but humans do as well. The Chesapeake Bay contains a 64,000-square-mile watershed, this watershed provides large amounts of drinking water for us in Maryland, along with several other states. Everyday, the condition of the water declines, meaning the home for wildlife and our drinking water does too. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation pointed out that, ¨Toxic chemicals are constantly entering the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams via wastewater, agriculture, stormwater, and air pollution. These harmful chemicals, such as mercury, PCBs, and PAHs, do not break down easily and persist in the environment for many years, impacting not just fish and birds, but humans as well.¨. How important does the restoration of the bay sound

Scientists and researchers began giving a large volume of effort and look into the extremely complex problems that face the Chesapeake Bay. When research for the improving and saving of the Bay’s overall health began it seemed very simple and there were only a couple of problems. The problems included nutrients from agricultural runoff; these nutrients were phosphorus and nitrogen. The combination of the nutrients in the Bay caused a large volume of algae that choked some of the marine life. While bringing in algae the nutrients also killed grasses on the seafloor. These seafloor bed grasses that once covered more than half of the Chesapeake Bay’s floor now only covered a tenth of their original area. Though the estuary was having problems it did not receive the terrible pollution from industries that many large rivers and lakes do in other urban areas (Brown, p. 397).

The health of the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay was found based on Biological (macroinvertebrates and wildlife) and Chemicals characteristics (pH, dissolved oxygen, phosphates, nitrates, etc.) as well as physical observations (amount of forested buffers, wetlands, etc.) Overall it was concluded that the health of the water was good to excellent. What was found was that many of the macroinvertebrates found in the water were sensitive or facultative, meaning the water quality was good enough for them to live in. Also, the level of ph, temperature, dissolved oxygen, phosphates, nitrates, and turbidity showed that the water quality was good. Finally, while we were canoeing down the Susquehanna River, observations were made on the land

The importance of the Chesapeake Bay is introduced. The bay is home to a large amount of seafood businesses, and many people fish the bay and its tributaries for sport. Grass beds are essential to many of the organisms living in this ecosystem, but are being destroyed by pollution. Agriculture involves more than a fourth of the bay's watershed. This makes agricultural runoff a big focus. Excessive nitrogen and phosphorus causes eutrophication. These nutrients come from pesticides and sewage also. A goal was set in 1985 to cut back the percent of nutrients being put into the bay by these two sources. It is thought that redirecting the flow of soil with nutrients in them will reduce the runoff, but if the nutrients seep into groundwater they still get into the Chesapeake Bay. Farmers have ways to help reduce these nutrient levels, but it is not the cheapest way to farm, so not all farmers are doing their part to save the bay. Another contributor of runoff land development. Runoff can occur from exposed land being prepared to be developed, or because of what has been used to replace what used to naturally be.

Current Environmental Challenges in the Tampa Bay Area Based on Global Issues Related to Earth Systems

The issue that has to do with this bill is the environment. This bill from 2015 says that water and air pollution is harmful to the Florida atmosphere. The bill says the “public policy of this to conserve waters,” and that “air pollution control programs” are now considered necessities in Florida.

The history of Pensacola cannot be defined by a single image or name but is rather eloquently described in a series of images and historic landmarks, which help shed light on the centuries old city. Deborah J Dunlap author of Historic Photographs of Pensacola Then and Now detailed Pensacola rich history through the juxtaposition of century old photographs with that of their present day counterparts, which displayed the cities growth and transformation from a small naval city to a growing college town. From this picture, laced book readers are able too visually acknowledge the changes and growth of the local area, which is concisely written about in the text. Deborah Dunlap covers the distance of over 100 years and excellently portrays the advancements local

Groundwater is the largest and most available usable source of drinking water in the state. There is a vast and mysterious system of caves and natural springs in North Central Florida. The cave system within the aquifer is one of the most amazing parts. The caves are remarkable in many ways. They are among the deepest and longest in the world, let alone the U.S. Another amazing aspect of the system is the purity of the water. The springs collectively produce billions of gallons of crystal clear water per day. The whole system stems from the Florida Aquifer that rests under the entire state. When most people think of Florida, they think of the weather and the beaches, but its the springs and the whole water

This problem has event caught the attention of the government and the senators of Florida. Since 1994, organizations, acts, and the awareness has developed. One of the first acts, passed in 1994, was called the Everglades Forever Act. It was created to decrease the phosphorous levels in the water of the Everglades after it was found mainly in farm areas. From then on, projects like the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, also known as the CERP, have began to appear. It states in the text passage “Water Quality Nearly Halts Everglades Restoration”, “But many were unhappy with the red tape and slow pace of the CERP.” AS a result, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decided to make another way to help the Everglades flourish once more; the Central Everglades Planning Project. This project was also to improve the quality of the water, but also fill the canals and installing filters. America has spent lots of money trying to restore the Everglades; however, they hope to bring the Everglades back to its original, healthy

The Virginia General Assembly enacted the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act in 1988 in an effort to promote “the general welfare of the people of the commonwealth.” The act is effective in 84 different localities throughout Virginia. This act was designed to have a positive impact on water quality of the bay itself, and also water throughout Virginia that feed into the bay. Along with improving water quality, it was designed to still allow reasonable development to continue taking place. The act is designed around the theory that land can be used and developed in a way that minimizes negative impacts on water quality. There is a balance between state and local economic interests and water quality that is implemented by a cooperative partnership between the state and Tidewater local government. This partnership helps reduce and prevent nonpoint source pollution.

Included in the report are various organic and inorganic chemicals that may or may not be naturally occurring, amounts found, and where the chemicals are thought to be originating from. Like every city in the United States there is going to be elements and chemicals that are found that will scare some people. But the important thing to look at is the part per amount in the water. The water reports normally list every compound found in the water, as well as non-regulated compounds found. This is great because they do not discriminate on which compounds to list. After they receive the list, they then measure the amount usually parts million (ppm) or parts per billion (ppb). The Environmental Protection Agency has done extensive testing and found safe cutoff levels of these chemicals and in order for a city to produce drinking or potable water, they must adhere to these

Speech Preparation Outline Template Speech Title: Ocean Pollution and its effects on Florida Wildlife I. Introduction A. Attention Getter: What is the one thing we all have in common in this room- We all live in Florida. And Florida is known for its beaches and wildlife. It is currently estimated that there is 100 million tons of plastic is in our oceans, and the impacts on local marine wildlife include fatalities from ingestion, starvation, suffocation, infection, drowning, and entanglement.

Areas Needing to Create Community Resilience: The King’s Beach Water Quality Project addresses King’s Beach which is an area in danger of flooding according to ‘Coastal Climate Change Study Final Report’ conducted by the town of Swampscott. The towns of Lynn and Swampscott Massachusetts are also classified as flood zones according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), allowing the location of the project qualify an area needing to create community resilience.

Rapid population growth in South Florida has significantly increased the demand for water and the strain on the fresh groundwater supplies has triggered more saltwater intrusion to the Biscayne aquifer. Saltwater intrusion has been one the main contaminant that continues to endanger the Biscayne aquifer. It has occurred as a result of the followings: the over-pumping by wells, the construction of drainage canals, and the lowering of the water table by drought. Ongoing efforts by South Florida water agencies to protect the aquifer from saltwater intrusion include groundwater monitoring, water management and conservation.