Abstract or Keywords
Hillsborough Bay is the northeast lobe of Tampa Bay, the largest open water estuary on Florida's west coast. For a complete description of the setting and previous works, the reader is referred to Doyle, et al. (1989). The Phase I study of fine-grained sediments in Hillsborough Bay (Brooks and Doyle, 1989) established distribution patterns and average accumulation rates of mud-dominated sediments at selected sites within the Bay over the past several thousand years. Phase II of the study, the focus of this investigation concentrates on the uppermost 50-100 cm. of the sediment column, or those sediments believed to have been deposited within approximately the past 100 years. Objectives of this study were to investigate depositional patterns and accumulation rates of sediments deposited during the period of man's presence in the Bay area; compare results with historic patterns identified during Phase I; and, evaluate the extent to which man's activities have impacted Bay sediment distribution patterns and accumulation rates. Since sedimentary deposits record the recent development and activities affecting the Bay, results will be important for determining the overall impact that man's acitivites have had on the Hillsborough Bay ecosystem, which should prove useful for more effective Bay management.