Subject
This meeting is being held to aid the Department in establishing numeric nutrient criteria for estuaries and coastal waters from Tampa Bay to Estero Bay along the southwest coast of Florida. The Department is seeking to gather information on individual marine systems that will serve to support statewide criteria development and provide a solid foundation to establish nutrient criteria appropriate for each specific area. The initial effort consists of identifying currently available data and soliciting local area expertise, including members of the Numeric Nutrient Criteria Technical Advisory Committee (Nutrients TAC). The purpose of the meeting is to solicit and discuss information regarding nutrients and documented associations between nutrients and ecological conditions within the estuaries. While not intended as a meeting of the Nutrients TAC, one or more members of the Nutrients TAC may participate and provide comments at this meeting.