Website

https://floridadep.gov/rcp/aquatic-preserve/locations/nature-coast-aquatic-preserve

Region(s)

NW

Summary

Nature Coast Bayport Station (NCBP): The Bayport station is located at the Bayport Park fishing pier at the mouth of the Weeki Wachee River. The sonde is housed in a PVC tube attached to the pier at the western end. Fresh water flows into the preserve from the Weeki Wachee River and mixes with salt water from the Gulf creating brackish conditions. The area is shallow and tidally influenced. The sediment is sand mixed with silt and oysters grow along the pilings of the pier. There is no vegetation in the vicinity of the station, however, sparse seagrasses like Thalassia testudinum and Halodule wrightii grow in Weeki Wachee bay.

Parameters

water temperature (°C), specific conductivity (mS/cm), salinity (psu), dissolved oxygen (%), dissolved oxygen (mg/L), depth (m), pH, and turbidity (FNU-EXO)

Notes

Sondes are maintained by staff at the University of Florida through an agreement with the Department of Environmental Protection.

Application

Publications

Start

2025

End

Current

Frequency

Continuous

Method

15-minute data collection at fixed stations using YSI EXO2

Discontinuity

Data Location

Aquatic Preserve Data Portal - https://www.floridaapdata.org/

Data Format

Habitats

Water Column

SEACAR Citation

Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection (RCP), Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve. (2026). Nature Coast Aquatic Preserves Continuous Water Quality Monitoring. Updated 11/09/2026. Distributed by: SEACAR Data Discovery Interface, Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection, Florida Department of Environmental Protection. https://data.florida-seacar.org/programs/details/10008

Alternative Citation

indicates priority attributes