Habitat Master Plan
The habitats of Tampa Bay, such as seagrasses, mangroves, salt marshes, and wet prairies, provide food, shelter, and other important services that support numerous birds, fish, mammals, and invertebrates. The Habitat Master Plan seeks to maximize the potential habitat protection and restoration opportunities areas within the Tampa Bay watershed and reach the following goals for each habitat type by no later than 2050:
- 40,000 acres of seagrass meadows
- 471 acres oyster bars
- 423 acres of hard bottom
- 166 acres artificial reefs
- 16,220 acres tidal flats
- 15,300 acres mangrove forests
- 796 acres salt barrens
- 5,457 acres salt marshes
- 56 miles living shorelines
- 18 miles tidal tributaries
- 4,219 acres coastal uplands
- 71,787 acres non-forested freshwater wetlands
- 152,732 acres forested freshwater wetlands
- 142,100 acres native uplands, including coastal hammocks and pine flatwoods
Target Setting Approach
The target setting approach used in this update, termed the “Maximizing the Potential” approach, is informed by past changes, as determined through a three-decade habitat change analysis, and over forty years of habitat restoration experience in the region. It is also primarily focused on what is possible today rather than replicating past ecological conditions. The new paradigm also accommodates future stressors – especially sea level rise, climate change, and development – into the target setting process. The Habitat Master Plan defines 10-year (2030) habitat protection and restoration targets and 30-year (2050) goals. Furthermore, this update maps habitat protection and restoration opportunity areas where these targets and goals can be attained, and where the 2017 CCMP habitat protection and restoration strategy can be implemented over the planning horizon. However, the identified habitat protection and restoration areas will change over time, and it is appropriate that they be revised on a 10-year recurring cycle. The targets and goals used the identification and mapping of a “coastal stratum” which extends from the existing mean low water line to the approximate 5-foot contour. The coastal stratum is projected to directly experience the effects of sea level rise by 2050, and is the primary focus area for coastal habitat protection and restoration activities, both in the near-term 10-year, and the extended 30-year, planning horizons.
CLICK ON THE MAP to view the individual opportunity assessment and restoration potential for each boundary, including the City of Tampa, City of St. Petersburg, City of Clearwater, Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Manatee County, Pasco County and the entire watershed.
Multiple layers of mapping data were combined to create estimates of habitat restoration opportunities for different habitats within the Tampa Bay watershed:
Restorable
A recent aerial assessment of habitat & developed areas was used to Identify ‘softer’ (relatively undeveloped) areas that would be easier to restore.
Reservation Space
Areas below the 5’ contour are identified as under greater pressures due to sea level rise impacts over the next several decades.
Publicly-Owned Lands
Habitat restoration conducted on existing public parcels & conservation easements are considered to generally be more effective due to costs, control, security and predictability.
Acquisition Potential
Parcels that have been identified within a state or local plan or otherwise by partners for acquisition are also considered for higher potential of restoration.
Soil Suitability
Mesic and hydric soils were targeted for wetland restoration, while xeric soils were identified with upland restoration potential.
Salinity Isohaline
Areas in tributaries or on the coast with long-term salinities less than 18 psu (about ½ full salt water) were targeted for black needlerush marsh restoration.
| Boundary | Opportunity Assessment | Restoration Potential |
|---|---|---|
| Watershed | View Table, View Map | View Map |
| City of Tampa | View Table, View Map | View Map |
| City of St. Petersburg | View Table, View Map | View Map |
| City of Clearwater | View Table, View Map | View Map |
| Hillsborough County | View Table, View Map | View Map |
| Pinellas County | View Table, View Map | View Map |
| Manatee County | View Table, View Map | View Map |
| Pasco County | View Table, View Map | View Map |
Restoration Best Management Practices Manual
As part of the Habitat Master Plan (2020 Update), information on lessons learned and habitat restoration best practices has been prepared in the Tampa Bay Habitat Restoration: Best Management Practices Manual. The manual describes habitat restoration techniques that have been successfully utilized over the past four decades to restore coastal ecosystems, specifically in Tampa Bay. This guidance manual also recommends approaches to effectively implement future habitat restoration projects in Tampa Bay, by integrating lessons-learned from over one hundred projects within the watershed. Finally, this manual includes recommendations for monitoring protocols and emerging technologies to plan future coastal habitat restoration efforts that need to consider the effects of climate change and sea level rise.
