{"id":2235,"date":"2025-07-23T21:39:45","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T21:39:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marine.usf.edu\/tbs\/?page_id=2235"},"modified":"2025-09-11T18:18:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T18:18:10","slug":"barnacle-baseline","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.marine.usf.edu\/tbs\/companion-studies\/barnacle-baseline\/","title":{"rendered":"Barnacle Baseline"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A companion study to the Tampa Bay Surveillance project<\/a>, the College of Marine Science at the University of South Florida<\/a> was awarded a project from the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium<\/a> entitled ‘Does Variability in Coastal Hydrology Affect the Sources and Concentration of CECs in a Large Estuarine System in Florida?<\/b>‘ which we have named: The Barnacle Baseline <\/b>Project.<\/p>\n

Coastal waters like Tampa Bay are increasingly affected by Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs)<\/a>\u2014pollutants such as pharmaceuticals, PFAS (forever chemicals), flame retardants, and plasticizers. These substances often originate from stormwater runoff, wastewater discharges, and aging infrastructure. As climate change alters rainfall and flooding patterns, the risk of contaminant spread grows. The Barnacle Baseline <\/b>Project is a two-year study (9\/1\/2024 to 12\/31\/2026) using local acorn barnacles (Amphibalanus eburneus<\/em> and A. amphitrite<\/em>) as natural sentinels for pollution. These fast-growing, stationary organisms are ideal for tracking pollution in real time.<\/strong> By analyzing their tissues, researchers can trace the sources and concentrations of CECs under various weather and hydrological conditions.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Close-up of barnacles on a test plate array (Week 6)<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Map showing sites used for barnacle and oyster collection as well as sites from NOAA's long standing Mussel Watch Program.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Steve Murawski (Project PI) and Layne Leggett (master's student) deploy a barnacle growth plate array near Egmont Key, FL.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Top (L to R): Master's student Layne Leggett and a test plate array @ Bayboro Harbor, St. Petersburg, FL (Week 1), Week 3. Bottom (L to R): Week 6, Week 9.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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During the course of the study, we will:<\/b><\/p>\n