Sea grass destruction in Gulf scrutinized

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

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A trail of stirred-up sea grass appears behind a SuCruz casino ship in an image taken last year.

(Bay News 9) -- State investigators are taking a closer look at the SunCruz casino boat's affects on the environment.

According to Bay News 9's partner newspaper The St. Petersburg Times, Florida Department of Environmental Protection officers took aerial photos of the boat on Friday churning up beds of sea grass off the Pasco and Hernando counties coastlines.

A spokesperson for the casino ship said they were unaware of any problems and that the sea grass damage could have been caused by a different boat.

However, images released by the Southwest Florida Water Management District show a casino ship and a trail of stirred-up sea grass and mud in its wake. An investigation began in December after trenches of sea grass12 feet wide and almost 3,000 feet long had been disturbed.

Swiftmud scientists found damage eight miles offshore and four miles offshore. Generally the boundary between state and federal jurisdiction in the Gulf of Mexico is nine miles offshore.

Sea grass is a habitat for thousands of species in Florida and can take decades to regrow if disturbed. A proposed bill in the state legislature would charge fees of up to $1,000 for damaging the grassy sea beds.