The 120 individual problems and issues are organized in Table 1 
into a few condensed sets and arranged with respect to management 
complexity. Criteria used for the sets and arrangements were (1) overlap 
with other problems; (2) extent to which problem concerns the cause of 
many other problems; (3) responsiveness to local needs; (4) the degree to 
which a problem is unique to the area, or is of national significance but 
may be easier to address in the Sarasota Bay area because of other 
circumstances; and (5) the probable role of federal, state and/or local 
government involvement. 
The sets are arranged from most federal involvement to most local 
involvement in Table 1. No priorities are implied by the order of sets 
within each level. Sets are meant to be organizing concepts around which 
management projects can develop, assimilating a number of specific, 
related problems in the process. Not all specific problems can be 
addressed by the sets described below, but refinement of the approach 
should improve such coverage. 
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 
Sarasota Bay was identified in Section 320 (National Estuary 
Program) of the Water Quality Act of 1987 for priority consideration as 
an estuary of national significance. The bay is the only Florida system 
so identified and the only subtropical one. It is a very small, 
relatively clean system which ranks poorly where estuarine area or number 
of major problems are considered. On the other hand, it ranks highly in 
terms of preservation need and in terms of its vulnerability because of 
its small size. It is also distinguished by having more problems 
resulting from development and overuse than from pollution, especially 
the many forms of pollution which plague northern estuaries. In this 
regard, Sarasota Bay represents an excellent setting in which to develop 
and evaluate management tools focusing on development and overuse 
impacts. The small size of the bay is an added advantage in such a 
context. Overall, Sarasota Bay offers the opportunity to address 
nationally significant problems such as integrated beach/inlet/channel 
maintenance, nonpoint source control, habitat loss, and sea level rise. 
Results from a Sarasota Bay study would also be transferable to similar 
lagoons, bar-built estuaries, and small embayments throughout the gulf 
and south Atlantic coastlines. Extensive tourism and seasonal residence 
of northern and midwestern visitors would extend the benefit of a local 
bay educational program to areas of the nation lacking bay management 
programs. 
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