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near C-103 and Snapper Creek Canal (Control). The project has just begun during 2003. |
The project team was represented when the project results were presented at the Sanibel |
"Ecological Indicators" workshop on October 30, 2003. As previously outlined above, |
the results confirm the premise that benthic faunal assemblages are not likely to be a |
good ecological indicator for salinity changes alone for Biscayne Bay due to |
multiparameter impacts of water quality and salinity. |
16. Discussions with several experts who are involved with research in Biscayne Bay |
suggest that it may be prudent to use several individual species of foraminiferans and/or |
diatoms as indicators of estuarine health and/or measurements of significant harm. |
Being lower in the trophic hierarchy, these organisms would be better indicators than |
fish, macrophytes and/or soils because of; a) their comparatively instantaneous response |
to severe conditions, b) their greater richness would allow more specific conditions to be |
monitored; c) their comparative lack of mobility would reduce the potential for misinterpreting absence (as could happen in more mobile species such as fishes); and d) the |
relative ease and low-cost for sampling and analysis. Two individual taxa (Ammonia |
parkinsoniana tepida and Elphidium galvestonense mexicanum) that would potentially |
serve as indicators of conditions of ecosystem health were identified. Both of these |
species have fairly narrow salinity tolerances and prefer oligohaline to mesohaline |
conditions. They are epi-benthic, are relatively easy to sample and count and have life |
cycles of + one year. Potential downsides include that these species could be affected |
by non-salinity water quality parameters (primarily D.O. and temp), which could make it |
challenging to know for sure that a die-off was exclusively the result of changes in |
salinity, and selling them as a "Valued Ecosystem Component " to non-specialists. |
17. Regardless of the extent to which other species of forams and diatoms could be |
identified as indicators for habitat restoration, if the MFL identifies a salinity regime that |
would maintain the existing assemblage of these organisms, maintaining that salinity |
regime would likely prevent significant harm to other biota. |
18. R. Lewis attended the Ecological Indicators Workshop in Sanibel, 29-31 OCT 2003, and |
briefly interviewed Louis Toth after his presentation on the selection process for |
ecological indicators for success in the restoration of the Kissimmee River. Mr. Lewis |
requested that Mr. Toth send him the manuscript, which he is doing. Since the method |
has been used by the SFWMD already, it may have application to the MFL process for |
BB. Dr. Willian Dunson, Emeritus Professor of Biology, Penn. State Univ., made a |
23 |
similar presentation on selection of ecological indicators for low salinity environments |
and his information may also have application. |
ATTACHMENT A |
INTERVIEW PROCESS |
Initial SFWMD List of Recommended Contacts/Interviewees |
Mr. Daniel Apt, Florida Department of Environmental Protection |
Dr. Jerry Ault, University of Miami – Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science |
Ms. Sarah Bellmund, Biscayne National Park |
Mr. Steven Blair, Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management |
Dr. Joseph Boyer, Florida International University |
Dr. Joan Browder, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration |
Mr. Rick Clark, Biscayne National Park |
Mr. Richard Curry, Biscayne National Park |
Mr. Sid Flannery, Southwest Florida Water Management District |
Dr. Ernie Estevez, Mote Marine Laboratory |
Ms. Stacey Feken, Florida Department of Environmental Protection |
Dr. James Fourqurean, Florida International University |
Mr. Craig Grossenbacher, Miami-Dade Dept. of Environmental Resources Management |
Dr. Jerome Lorenz, Audubon of Florida |
Dr. Susan Markley, Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management |
Dr. Frank Mazzotti, University of Florida, IFAS |
Dr. John Meeder, Florida International University |
Mr. William Nuttle |
Dr. Peter Ortner, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration |
Dr. William Perry, Everglades National Park |
Mr. Patrick Pitts, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
Dr. Mike Robblee, U.S. Geological Survey |
Dr. Martin Roessler, M.A. Roessler Associates, Inc. |
Dr. Joseph Serafy, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration |
Ms. Susan Teel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |
Mr. Herbert Zebuth, Florida Department of Environmental Protection |
Dr. Jay Zeiman, University of Virginia |
During the course of the interviews, each interviewee was asked to review the list of people |
identified by SFWMD with whom interviews are to be conducted and to make suggestions of |
any other individuals who they believe could provide additional information and/or insight |
into the project. Suggestions received, and the results of discussions with WMD staff, shown |
in parentheses, regarding the merits of conducting interviews with these individuals in |
consideration of budgetary and schedule constraints include: |
· Larry Brand, UM; working on a phytoplankton study in BB. (Budgetary and schedule |
constraints suggest that an interview should not be conducted). |
· Gwen Burzecki, DERM –studying white mangrove community along w. shore of BB. |
(Budgetary and schedule constraints suggest that an interview should not be |
conducted). |
· Joe Contillo; oversees a long-term study of bottlenose dolphins in BB. (Budgetary |
and schedule constraints suggest that an interview should not be conducted). |
· Guillermo Diaz, UM; Ph.D. dissertation re population dynamics of Pink Shrimp in |
BB. (Yes, the team is directed to pursue an interview). |
· Cindy Dwyer, Planner, Miami-Dade Planning and Zoning Dept.; (Project manager |
overseeing public land acquisition projects along BB for env. Enhancements). |
(Budgetary and schedule constraints suggest that an interview should not be |
conducted). |
· Craig Faunce, UM; Ph. D. work re fishes in mangrove shorelines of BB. (Yes, the |
team is directed to pursue an interview). |
· Janice Fleischer, J.D.; Program Manager for the SFRPC Institute for Community |
Collaboration. (Budgetary and schedule constraints suggest that an interview should |
not be conducted). |
· Greg Graves, FDEP – Port St. Lucie; Oversees an FDEP bay-wide water quality |
monitoring program. (Yes, the team is directed to pursue an interview). |
· Scott Ishman, principal investigator and lead author of a paleo-ecological analysis of |
BB sediments. (Yes, the team is directed to pursue an interview). |
· Diego Lirman, UM; Abundances, Diversity and Distribution of Benthic Organisms in |
relation to Salinity Gradients in BB. (Yes, the team is directed to pursue an |
interview). |
· Danielle Mir-Gonzalez, FIU; grad student working on seagrass distribution along W. |
shoreline of BB. (Yes, the team is directed to pursue an interview). |
· Rene Price, FIU; using chemical tracers to evaluate changes in freshwater inputs into |
BB. (Budgetary and schedule constraints suggest that an interview should not be |
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