Covering an area of about 400 square miles (1,036 square kilometers) of surface water and shallow wetlands, Tampa Bay is Florida’s largest open water estuary.
Several rivers, including the Hillsborough, Alafia, and Manatee, are the primary contributors of freshwater to the bay. These rivers and hundreds of small tributaries feed fresh water in Tampa Bay that dilutes the salt water from the Gulf of Mexico.
Since Tampa Bay is relatively shallow with an average depth of 11 feet (3.4 meters), allowing sunlight to penetrate the water column. Tampa Bay features mangrove forests, salt marshes, and tidal flats.
