The Power of Hands-On Conservation Efforts

During my travels along the Texas coast I am constantly reminded that our estuarine resources are shrinking. Oh, the bays are still the same basic size, perhaps even a wee bit larger if you consider erosion and subsidence. What I’m really saying is that the quality of estuarine habitat is shrinking. Shorelines erode, islands disappear, shell reefs diminish, and water quality is depleted. These sometimes occur as the result of natural forces; storms, floods, devastating freezes, and other events we cannot control. Along with these are a list of manmade influences; expansion of coastal communities, channels being deepened and widened, and fresh water inflows being tapped like never before to support growing human, agricultural, and industrial needs.

Sometimes all we can do is shrug and accept the changes. There are also changes we can meet head-on and take action to limit or perhaps even erase. Water quality in our bays is one such issue.

Conservation success stories inspire me and one of the greatest I’ve seen is the initiative described in the most recent issue of this magazine- Bringing Baffin Back. Too large to present in a single segment, last month we presented Part 1; this month we have Part 2. Both are co-written by lifelong coastal angler, noted conservationist, and Baffin area resident, Scott Murray, and Dr. Michael Wetz PhD with Harte Institute and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. If by chance you missed Part 1, I heartily recommend you go back and read it, along with Part 2.

What inspires me most is that the original initiative and organization of Bringing Baffin Back is entirely user-driven. A group of citizen-scientist volunteers who have undertaken the monumental task of documenting water quality in the bay to detect the appearance of the scourge commonly known as “brown tide.” It’s actually an algal bloom that has recurred several times over past decades, to the extent that Baffin’s water has been so stained that sunlight cannot penetrate to the bay floor; seagrasses die, and dozens of estuarine species suffer and decline. Fishing during the height of these events becomes nearly impossible, which means the area’s economy also takes a nosedive.

Over the last twenty-or so years, suspicion grew among longtime Baffin anglers that the origin of brown tide must certainly be related to excessive levels of nutrients delivered via runoff and stream inflows – namely nitrogen and phosphorous. Well, that suspicion has been confirmed.

Baffin will not be brought back overnight; you can bet on that. It’s going to take a lot of dedicated effort from a lot of people, both in and outside the local community. But the tide has turned. Mega-Kudos to all who have contributed!