MANATEE COUNTY (WSNN) – Now that Piney Point’s discharge has stopped, attention is shifting towards the impacts the wastewater has on our environment.
After more than 200 million gallons of contaminated wastewater went into Tampa Bay due to Piney Point’s phosphogypsum stack leak, researchers are saying we may see an impact on our beloved dolphin friends.
“Obviously is of great concern, both on the initial health impacts on the dolphin’s perspective and longterm in terms of the ecological impacts of the area around there,” Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program director, Randall Wells said.
Dr. Randall Wells is keeping a close eye on the waters outside Port Manatee where the gypsum stack discharge took place. Staff from the Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program started monitoring dolphins in the area last week.
“If the sea grasses die out if there are algae that affect the availability of food for the dolphins; if there are toxic algae like a red tide bloom, those are all things that would be of concern.”
He says they’ll be looking at direct impacts related to respiration.
“Which is one of the main illnesses that dolphins have,” Wells said. “Are there skin lesions? Were there changes?”
Suncoast Waterkeeper, Justin Bloom says he’s starting to see localized algae blooms.
“We haven’t been able to determine with absolute, hundred percent certainty that it’s related to the spill,” Bloom said. “But we have a pretty good assumption. We were there four days prior, and there was no algae bloom.
Dolphins have lived here for more than 30 years. And based on preliminary research scientists have discovered….
“Very few dolphins in the vicinity of Port Manatee,” Wells said.
“It’s a gut punch,” Bloom said. “It’s what we’ve been fighting for and working towards; protecting and restoring our bay waters for years. And within the course of a week, we saw major major damage.”
“It makes me sad because we look forward to seeing them,” Cindy Tapper said.
The Tappers kayak on the bay just to see the dolphins.
“That’s why we’re in Florida for four months,” James Tapper said.
Wells says all the research is still preliminary, and they plan to do more of it next week. There are still no concrete numbers on the dolphins in the area. We will keep you posted when the research group has more information.
