Five environmental stories that affected Tampa Bay in 2021 and what’s ahead in 2022

Piney Point, Red Tide and dying manatees were some of the environmental crises of 2021.

The environment dominated headlines this spring and summer in Tampa Bay, despite the enduring coronavirus pandemic, as back-to-back crises threatened the region’s namesake waterway.

Some headlines felt like they had been written before, as old problems resurfaced this year.

Heading into 2022, here’s a reminder of what happened and a cheat sheet for what to look out for next year.