PORTS AND PORT IMPACTS 
William J. Tiffany, III and David E. Wilkinson 
Port Manatee, Florida 
INTRODUCTION 
The purpose of this paper is to familiarize the reader with one of 
the major influences on this region, collectively the ports and their 
attendant impacts. 
Of the 14 deepwater seaports in Florida, 3 are located on Tampa 
Bay (Figure 1). There are no commercial ports on Sarasota Bay. Although 
this discussion will center on these ports, specifically the Port of 
Tampa (Florida’s largest port), Port Manatee (4th largest), and the 
smaller Port of St. Petersburg, keep in mind that there are many other 
maritime commercial and recreational activities and centers in both Tampa 
and Sarasota Bays which exert a significant impact on the local 
environment. Some of these include the many marinas and private docks 
which dot the waterfront, commercial fishing docks, and several large 
private terminal facilities such as those operated by power companies 
which bring in oil and coal for generating electricity. Certainly these 
operations all have similar potential for impacting the environment, as 
do the major ports (Phillips et al. this report). All have a potential 
for spills, use channels and landside facilities which were created at 
some expense to the environment, and, in some ways, have a greater impact 
than the actual port facilities. For example, Estevez and Merriam (this 
report) discuss the typical shoreline of Sarasota Bay and its extensive 
alteration for water related activities. At the recent Sarasota Bay Area 
Scientific Information Symposium (SARABASIS), it became readily apparent 
that recreational boat traffic and navigation congestion problems con¬ 
stitute significant concerns to Sarasota area residents. 
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW 
The ports of Tampa Bay have evolved from a long history of 
maritime commerce that dates back to the Post Columbian era, when Cuban 
fishermen utilized the vast resources of Tampa and upper Sarasota Bays to 
supply their growing population with a source of protein-rich food. It 
was not until after Florida’s statehood in the 1850’s, just prior to the 
Civil War --when Tampa farmers started shipping cattle to Cuba-- that the 
Cuban fishing industry faded. By this time, Fort Brooke (a military post 
in the upper Bay system) was well established and provided protection 
from hostile Indians. A brisk maritime trade developed, serving the 
growing civilian communities around Tampa Bay, and it provided the only 
connection to other markets. 
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