Project Summary Sheet

Project: Impacts of hydrological restoration on three estuarine communities of the Southwest Florida coast and on associated fauna

Web Sites: http://www.fcsc.usgs.gov/ (see http://cars.er.usgs.gov/); http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/; http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/projects/brd_global_change/proj_29_florida_mangroves.html

Location: Southwest Coast / Big Cypress

Principal Investigator: C.C. McIvor (Carole_McIvor@usgs.gov; (727) 803-8747 X3022), T.J. Smith, III smithtj@fiu.edu; (305) 348-1267), Michael B. Robblee (robbleem@fiu.edu; (305) 348-1269), Lynn Lefebvre (Lynn_Lefebvre@usgs.gov; (352) 372-2571)

Project Personnel: Shannon Whaley (Shannon_Whaley@usgs.gov, (727) 803-8747, Phillip George, (305) 242-7800

Other Supporting Organizations: ENP, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, FDEP

Associated Projects: Understanding and Predicting Global Climate Change: Impacts on the Vegetation and Fauna of Mangrove Forested Ecosystems in Florida, T.J. Smith, III and C.C. McIvor

Overview & Status: The goals of this project in selected SW coast estuaries are to: (1) quantitatively establish baseline patterns of the distribution, abundance and composition of submerged aquatic vegetation and selected animal inhabitants; (2) quantitatively establish baseline patterns of the distribution and abundance of fish and decapod crustaceans associated with mangroves and brackish marshes; and (3) develop a population-level model of manatees capable of predicting their response to changes brought about by proposed restoration of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem.

The project is in its first year. Significant progress has been made on Objective two. Initial samples have been taken in mangroves in Shark River, and marsh sites are set up: sampling will begin there in the rainy season. Mangrove sites have been chosen on Lostmans River. Personnel searches for the field individuals to undertake the year-one summer surveys for objective one are underway.

Needs & Products: A position description has been written for the modeler for objective three. The person is expected to be on board by summer 2000.

Application to Everglades Restoration: Project data, publications and reports will be directly applicable to the following aspects of restoration: (1) establishing baseline data on the patterns of distribution and abundance of selected faunal groups in submerged aquatic vegetation, mangroves and brackish marshes in the SW coast mangrove transition zone; (2) developing criteria for assessment of restoration for selected organisms and environments; (3) providing spatially-explicit data to the ATLSS modeling team for development of a fish model for the SW coast mangrove transition zone; and (4) developing a manatee population model in ATLSS format.