ST. PETERSBURG -- Scientists at the University of South Florida's College of Marine Sciences say that the Piney Point spill of contaminated water from an old phosphogypsum stack produced localized effects in the southern part of Tampa Bay, which were not widespread... and there's no evidence the spill contributed to red tide.
College dean Tom Frazer said there was a nutrient spike and an increase in phytoplankton immediately next to Port Manatee, where the spill discharged into the bay. He says it was short-lived and phytoplankton populations are declining, as chemical levels in the water are more "typical of those reported in the historical record."
A field team collected water and sediment samples from locations near Port Manatee and beyond. They say the algae population boom was mainly composed of diatoms, not the kind responsible for red tide.
Oceanographer Bob Weisberg says that even though it takes months to flush water out of Tampa Bay, the Piney Point discharge was diluted quickly.
The team also took fish samples which will take longer to process, but scientists pointed out that the State Department of Health, which has jurisdiction, has not placed any advisories on eating fish caught in the lower bay.
Photo: Cliff McBride/University of South Florida