The mission of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program is to build partnerships to restore and protect Tampa Bay through implementation of a scientifically sound, community-based management plan. The Tampa Bay Estuary Program was created by Congress in 1991 to assist the community in restoring and protecting Florida's largest open-water estuary. As a designated "estuary of national significance," Tampa Bay is the economic and environmental centerpiece of a rapidly growing region supporting more than 3 million people.