Welcome back to 2016 and the Water Quality Update. This year we will be expanding to include data from the Escambia Marine Science Educators (ESME) and from the Florida Microplastics Awareness Program. Later this month we will submit an article explaining the FMAP program. Also this year we will be working on centralizing data collected from around the county. We were hoping to do this last year but did not make it happen.
I have been working on the 2015 report this week. It is not finished yet but hopefully by next Friday.
RED TIDE
The only reports of red tide in the panhandle this week were low-background level readings from Bay and Gulf counties. There were high levels reported in the Tampa area. All good here.
FISH KILLS for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties
There are no reports of fish kills this month.
![No swimming posted due to high levels of bacteria. Photo: Rick O'Connor](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2015/09/NO-Swimming-2-150x150.jpg)
Photo: Rick O’Connor
HEALTH ADVISORIES
There was a health advisory issued for Bayou Texar – ENT = 84
Samples were collected in Bayou’s Chico and Grande
Perdido Bay is fine
WATER TEMPERATURES
All waters are running between 50-59°F except lower Perdido who reported 49°F
SALINITY
Salinities are running very low for most water bodies. Almost all were reporting < 10 ppt. Ft. Pickens reported 8.7 ppt. (VERY low for this location). Continuous rain the cause.
DISSOLVED OXYGEN
All good.. Numbers coming in between 9.0 – 10.0 mg/L
NUTRIENTS
The Marine Science Academy at Washington High School is monitoring nutrients within Bayou Texar.
No data was collected on total nitrogen. Phosphates are high and the Ph levels drop some due to this. Chlorophyll numbers are low. Turbidity is not bad.
UWF INSHORE LIONFISH SURVEY:
UWF has not begun their lionfish surveys yet
Here are the numbers…
FDEP
Water Body Temp (F) Salinity (ppt) DO(mg/L) ENT bacteria count (colonies/100ml)
Texar 55 4.1 8.4 84 HEALTH ADVISORY
Chico –
Grande –
Low Perdido 49 8.1 9.9 24
Up Perdido 58 4.6 9.9 114 (fecal coliform/freshwater)
Gulf Breeze 53 7.4 10.0 10
ECHD
Bayou Texar – POOR
Sanders Beach / Bayou Chico – good
EMSE – MARINE SCIENCE ACADEMY – TEXAR
Station Total Nitrogen Total Phosphate Chlorophyll Turbidity (FIU
12th Ave – 1600 0.2 5
Hyde Park – 2600 4.2 0
Boat Ramp East – 1900 3.9 11
Dog Beach – 3000 7.1 17
FLORIDA MICROPLASTICS AWARENESS PROGRAM
Station Number of pieces of microplastic recorded Total
Chimney Park (14), (7) 21
Wayside Park @
Bayou Texar (17), (10) 27
Navy Point (20), (3), (5) 28
Mouth of Escambia
River (6) 6
Bay Fishing Bridge (3) 3
For more information on local water visit:
http://escambia.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/environmental-health/beaches/index.html