[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8634]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 RECOGNIZING TAMPA BAY ESTUARY PROGRAM

  (Mr. JOLLY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. JOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Tampa Bay 
Estuary Program and the great work they have done since their founding 
in 1991.
  The Tampa Bay Estuary contains one of the most vibrant and productive 
ecosystems along the Gulf Coast because the unique mix of saltwater 
from the Gulf and freshwater from rivers and uplands have created 
abundant nurseries for juvenile fish and other sea life. More than 70 
percent of all fish, shellfish, and crustaceans spend some critical 
stage of their development in these near-shore waters protected from 
larger predators that swim the open sea.
  Very importantly, scientists at the Southwest Florida Water 
Management District have found that Tampa Bay now supports over 40,000 
acres of sea grass beds. Tampa Bay is Florida's largest open water 
estuary. Due to the great work of the program, Tampa Bay's water 
quality is now as good as it was in 1950.
  I want to thank the leadership of Tampa Bay's estuary program, 
particularly Executive Director Holly Greening, for her vision not only 
for the estuary program, but for the entire Tampa Bay community.
  Tampa Bay is coming back to life, again assuming its position as the 
shimmering economic and environmental centerpiece of the vibrant 
southwest Florida region.

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