Tampa Bay Dredged Hole Habitat
Assessment Project:
Management Recommendations
Project Objectives
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Determine habitat value
of each hole
Develop management
strategies for each hole
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No Change
Complete filling and restoration
of seagrasses
Partial filling
Enhance habitat value
Project Tasks
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Fisheries Monitoring
Trawl and Seine Samples- inside and outside holes
 Directed Hole-and-Line Sampling
 Recreational & Commercial Angler Use
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Benthic Monitoring
Benthic Organisms
 Physical Parameters- DO, sediment chemistry
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Physical Characteristics
Acreage, Depth & Surrounding
Depth of holes
 Location
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Overall Rankings
OPTION 3 (of 4)
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Fisheries and Benthos Weighted Equally
Ranking Uses Numerical Values assigned by FIM or Benthos
Fisheries: 9 holes ranked (BIG and NEP not ranked)
Value= 10 - ranked # = x
9
9
e.g., Shore Acres (#1, “best”) = 10 – 1 = 9 =1
9
9
Benthos: 11 holes ranked
Value = 12- ranked # = x
11
11
Fisheries Score + Benthos Score (If no Fisheries, only Benthic
2
e.g., BIG, NEP1)
Overall Ranked Comparison:
Lowest score = lowest habitat value
Fisheries x 1, Benthos x 1
1.200
1.000
0.955
0.833
Combined Score
0.800
0.672 0.687 0.707
0.600
0.530 0.545
0.400
0.293
0.200
0.101
0.359
0.180
0.000
MCK
NEP1
NSH
CYP
AIR
BIG
Dredged Hole
WSK1
MAC
WSK2
GAN
SHA
Shore Acres
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Score: 0.955
Rank: 1of 11 (highest ranked)
Angler Use:
Recreational: #8 (tied)
 Commercial: #4 (tied)
 Rationale: Highest ranked hole for
fisheries and 2nd highest ranked for benthos.
 Objections: None
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Management Recommendation:
Keep Hole As IsDo Not Fill
Gandy Channel North
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Score: 0.833
Rank: 2 of 11
Angler Use:
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Recreational: #3 (tied)
Commercial: #4 (tied)
Rationale: Highly ranked hole by benthic
Objections: None
Management Recommendation:
Keep Hole As IsDo Not Fill
Whiskey Stump Key 2 (East)
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Score: 0.707
Rank: 3 of 11
Angler Use:
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Recreational: #1
Commercial: #9 (tied for last)
Rationale: Original recommendation
upheld. Hole provides unique fish habitat.
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Objections: None
Management Recommendation:
Keep Hole As Is- Do Not Fill
Mac Dill Air Force Base Runway Extension
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Score: 0.687
Rank: 4 of 11
Angler Use:
Recreational: #10 (access restricted)
 Commercial: #6
 Rationale: Hole was historically utilized by
recreational fishers before security
restrictions. More protected refuge for fish,
as recreational fishers are prohibited. Hole
partially filled in 1990s.
 Objections: Peter Clark
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Management Recommendation:
Keep Hole As Is- Do Not Fill Further
Whiskey Stump Key 1 (West)
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Score: 0.672
Rank: 5 of 11
Angler Use:
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Recreational: #1
Commercial: #9 (tied for last)
Rationale: Original recommendation
upheld. Hole provides unique fish habitat.
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Objections: None
Management Recommendation:
Keep Hole As Is- Do Not Fill
Big Island Cut
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Score: 0.545 (Benthic only)
Rank: 6 of 11
Angler Use:
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Recreational: #2
Commercial: #1
Rationale:
Objections: None
Management Recommendation:
Keep Hole As IsDo Not Fill
St. Petersburg/Clearwater Airport East
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Score: 0.530
Rank: 7 of 11
Angler Use:
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Recreational: #5
Commercial: #2
Rationale:
Objections:
Management Recommendation:
Keep Hole as is
Do Not Fill
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Score: 0.359
Rank: 8 of 11
Angler Use
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Cypress Point
Recreational: #6
Commercial: #3
Rationale: Erosion problem along eastern
beach. Filling could protect against wave
energy and support City of Tampa project
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Objections: Jan Platt
Management Recommendation:
Partial filling to stabilize the
shoreline. Fill to various depths,
including to the photic zone.
Northshore Beach
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Score: 0.293
Rank: 9 of 11
Angler Use:
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Recreational: #8 (tied)
Commercial: #6 (tied)
Rationale: Ranked poorly for fisheries and
benthos.
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Objections: None
Management Recommendation:
Fill to surrounding area depth and
encourage seagrass expansion.
Northeast St. Petersburg Borrow Pit 1
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Score: 0.180 (Benthic only)
Rank: 10 of 11
Angler Use:
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Recreational: #3 (tied)
Commercial: #6 (tied)
Rationale: Could be developed as a
SWIM project. Opportunity for restoration.
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Objections: None
Management Recommendation:
Shallow up hole to between -10 and
+3 feet to address hypoxia. Develop
intertidal planting shelves.
McKay Bay
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Score: 0.101
Rank: 11 of 11 (lowest ranked)
Angler Use:
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Recreational: #6 (tied)
Commercial: #9 (tied for last)
Rationale: Lowest ranked hole for both
fisheries and benthos
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Objections: None
Management Recommendation:
Fill hole to surrounding depths
Recommendation Summary
* Based on existing habitat value
KEEP AS IS
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Shore Acres
Gandy Channel North
Whiskey Stump Key 2 (East)
Mac Dill Air Force Base Runway Extension
Whiskey Stump Key 1 (West)
Big Island Cut
St. Petersburg/Clearwater Airport East
Recommendation Summary
*Based on existing habitat value
CONSIDER MODIFICATION
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Cypress Point- Partial filling to stabilize the
shoreline. Fill to various depths, including to the
photic zone.
Northshore Beach- Fill to surrounding area
depth and encourage seagrass expansion.
Northeast St. Petersburg Borrow Pit 1- Shallow up
hole to between -10 and +3 feet to address
hypoxia. Develop intertidal planting shelves.
McKay Bay- Fill hole to surrounding depths