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Science

Crystal River’s Invasive Aquatic Plants

Invasive species come in many forms and can be native or nonnative. Florida is known for its beautiful waterways and marshlands, so invasive aquatic plants are particularly threatening to Florida’s environment. In Crystal River, there are four main invasive aquatic plants: water hyacinth, water lettuce, hydrilla, and lyngbya.

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Water Hyacinth and Water Lettuce

Both water hyacinth (left) and water lettuce (right) are nonnative to Florida and originated from South America. When cargo ships travel between South America and Florida, they can carry invasive plants in their ballast water. When the ship reaches its destination and releases its ballast water, any foreign plants trapped inside gets released into a new ecosystem. (Cargo ships take water in their ballast tank to enhance maneuverability and stability on the water. When ships reach their destination, they pump out the foreign water, which contains foreign substances. For more information, visit here.)

When Crystal River had fewer manatee, water hyacinth and water lettuce dominated waterways because the plants could thrive in the warm climate and had few predators. By rapidly reproducing, water hyacinth and water lettuce form dense greenery at the surface of the water and prevent light from reaching the plants below. Light is a critical ingredient for photosynthesis and without it, plants die. This process results in a monoculture of invasive plants that outcompete native plants.

Thankfully, manatee love water hyacinth and water lettuce, and as manatee populations have risen in Crystal River, likely a product of increased food sources (eelgrass) and conservation efforts, water hyacinth and water lettuce levels have greatly reduced. Also, water hyacinth and water lettuce are relatively easy to remove since they float on the surface of the water and can easily be scooped out. Sadly, hydrilla and lyngbya aren’t as easy to control.

[fusion_imageframe image_id=”3458|fusion-600″ max_width=”” style_type=”” blur=”” stylecolor=”” hover_type=”none” bordersize=”” bordercolor=”” borderradius=”” align=”none” lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” lightbox_image_id=”” alt=”” link=”” linktarget=”_self” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” filter_hue=”0″ filter_saturation=”100″ filter_brightness=”100″ filter_contrast=”100″ filter_invert=”0″ filter_sepia=”0″ filter_opacity=”100″ filter_blur=”0″ filter_hue_hover=”0″ filter_saturation_hover=”100″ filter_brightness_hover=”100″ filter_contrast_hover=”100″ filter_invert_hover=”0″ filter_sepia_hover=”0″ filter_opacity_hover=”100″ filter_blur_hover=”0″]https://savecrystalriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/aquatic-plant-spotlight-hydrilla-600×240.jpg[/fusion_imageframe]

Hydrilla

While manatee eat hydrilla (above), hydrilla is much more invasive than water hyacinth and water lettuce. Hydrilla is native to Asia and was spread worldwide in the aquarium trade. If you look at the image at the top of this article, you can see why people wanted hydrilla in their freshwater fish tanks – it’s symmetrical and pretty when it flows in the water. Also, just like water hyacinth and water lettuce, hydrilla travels in cargo ships and can spread into new regions as a result of trade.

Hydrilla is extremely invasive because even small fragments of the plant can grow into full sized plants. Anyone who carelessly dumps out their fish tank into open waterways can easily introduce hydrilla into a new ecosystem.

Another aspect that makes hydrilla so invasive is the fact it can live in a variety of water qualities. If you’ll recall from a past blog linked here, pH, salinity, turbidity, etc. determine water quality. Hydrilla is one of the most invasive species in the world, and it is found on every continent except Antarctica.

Hydrilla, like water hyacinth and water lettuce, forms monocultures by rapidly reproducing and outcompeting native plants. Once hydrilla grows large enough, it will stretch from the riverbed to the water’s surface. At the surface, hydrilla forms dense greenery, which blocks the sun from reaching plants below (see image below).

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What Have We Done About Hydrilla?

Removing hydrilla is extraordinarily difficult and costly. Hydrilla grows faster than manatee can eat it, and whenever a manatee breaks a hydrilla plant, the broken plant fragments can form new plants.

The name “hydrilla” originates from the Latin word “hydra,” which has two different meanings. The first definition of hydra refers to the many-headed beast in Greek mythology. When one head of the hydra is cut off, two grow back. More modernly, Hydra means an evil that can’t be overcome by a single effort. I’d say hydrilla fits both of these definitions.

Hydrilla is known to completely take over waterways and to prevent any navigation by manatee or human. The fact that hydrilla is present throughout King’s Bay is worrisome because if left unregulated, King’s Bay could eventually look like the image above.

In the past, people tried to eliminate hydrilla by poisoning it, which was costly and risky. In King’s Bay, poisoning worked and the hydrilla died, but it made the overall situation worse. As hydrilla died, it sunk to the riverbed and contributed to the thick layer of muck. This muck created an anaerobic environment where rooted plants, like eelgrass, could not effectively survive.

Poisoning, combined with the massive amounts of saltwater that flooded into Crystal River from the No Name Storm on March 13, 1993, led to the death of tons of hydrilla and added to the mucky, anaerobic riverbed.

How To Combat Hydrilla

There are only a few effective ways to prevent devastating levels of hydrilla.

1: Catch hydrilla early. If we notice hydrilla growth early enough, we can prevent if from getting out of control.

2: Manatee eat hydrilla, so if the hydrilla isn’t overwhelming, manatee will be able to graze and reduce hydrilla density.

3: Plant eelgrass properly. Mature and properly planted eelgrass outcompetes hydrilla. If you swim in Kings Bay, you rarely see hydrilla in the main cluster of established eelgrass. You see it around patches of eelgrass, but well established eelgrass outgrows nascent hydrilla.

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Lyngbya

The fourth and final invasive aquatic plant is lyngbya. Lyngbya, unlike the other plants discussed, is native to Florida. It had been the worst invasive aquatic plant in Crystal River for years, but it can’t tolerate saltwater. As saltwater intrusion increased from hurricanes and the lowering of the freshwater aquifer, lyngbya levels decreased. (For more on saltwater intrusion click here.) Lyngbya is now mainly found in Hunter’s Spring.

Lyngbya grows by attaching to other seagrasses and rocks on the riverbed. When mature, trapped gas in the lyngbya mats forces the invasive plant to the surface (see image above). Once on the surface, lyngbya blocks the sun from reaching the native eelgrass on the riverbed. Like the other invasive plants, lyngbya can also be spread in the ballast of a boat.

How To Combat Lyngbya

The most effective way to counter lyngbya is by planting eelgrass. This is exactly what Save Crystal River hopes to accomplish by planting eelgrass. Once the eelgrass matures, it outcompetes lyngbya. This forces lyngbya to the surface prematurely and forces the invasive plant out of the springs. The more eelgrass we have, the less lyngbya we have.

Unlike hydrilla, water hyacinth, and water lettuce, Manatee won’t eat lyngbya because it is slightly toxic. This means it’s up to us to make sure our waterways are clear.

While there’s not much we can individually do to eliminate these invasive aquatic plants, be careful not to transfer them to a new waterway. Clean kayaks, boats, paddleboards and any other mode of water transportation before traveling to a new location.

I’ll see you on the water,

Walker A. Willis

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Photo Credits:

Hydrilla Underwater: My Canyon Lake

Water Hyacinth: The Tehran Times

Water Lettuce: Gardening Know How

Hydrilla in Hand: Noble Research Institute 

Hydrilla Invasion: Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers 

Lyngbya: Naturalake Biosciences

Growing and Planting Eelgrass

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The ability to transform an algae-based aquatic ecosystem into a plant-based system is the key to making Crystal River crystal clear.

Eelgrass is vital to the health of our river.  It cleans the water, cycles nutrients, adds oxygen, stabilizes sediment, sequesters carbon, and provides food, habitat and protection for fish and animals.

Cultivating Sucess: Where our eelgrass grows.

With nearly 50 acres of seagrass planted and restored in Crystal River, have you ever wondered where all of that seagrass comes from?

Our Contractor, Sea & Shoreline, operates the largest upland seagrass nursery in the world!  Located in Ruskin, FL, their licensed aquaculture facility houses over 250,000 plants in a variety of different species and genotypes.

The two seagrass genotypes planted in Crystal River are affectionately called “Rock Star” and “Salty Dog”.  They belong to the Vallisneria Americana species commonly known as eelgrass.  This species is the most common freshwater seagrass found in Florida.  The Rockstar and Salty Dog varieties were specifically chosen for Crystal River.  Rockstar is a fast grower, while Salty Dog can withstand some saltwater influx making it less likely to die off in the event of a hurricane.

Grown in long raceways underwater, the seagrass at Sea & Shoreline’s facility are all grown from other plants (not seeds since they are not available in a quantity large enough for a restoration project) and slowly and carefully acclimated to match the conditions of each area into which they are going to plant.  They consider variables such as depth, light, salinity, and temperature, and adjust conditions as needed.  Sometimes this process can take months or even years.

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Building a Garden: The Planting Process.

When the pre-rooted grasses are ready to plant, they are packaged in small mechanical planting units or four-inch peat pots, kept damp, and transported to Crystal River in large coolers and enclosed trailers that keep the plants out of direct sunlight and wind to prevent them from drying out.

The pre-rooted plants are then planted by Sea & Shoreline’s biologists into clean substrate or sand on the river’s bottom where they are protected with GrowSAV™ Herbivory Exclusion Devices (cages) until the plants can take root and grow without the risk of fish or animals disturbing or eating them.

Monthly, these devices are inspected and cleaned to remove any biofouling materials so that light from the surface can penetrate the devices and help the plants to grow.

Part of this maintenance also includes injecting the sediment with organic and proprietary sediment amending growth hormone (SAGE) that promotes plant growth.  SAGE is not a fertilizer and contains no nitrogen or phosphorous.  It is a mixture of macronutrients and plant growth hormones that is completely eco-friendly.

In addition to maintaining the seagrass in our river, our eelgrass and surrounding areas are also monitored monthly to provide detailed scientific reports and photos of all planted areas for a three-year period.  To address any Lyngbya that attempts to creep back into the river, maintenance is also conducted in planted areas to keep the bottom and the water crystal clear.

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Photography Provided by

Sea & Shoreline

Explorida Adventure Center

Informatuon Reference

Sea & Shoreline

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Seasonal Changes Produce Healthier Eelgrass Beds in Kings Bay

If you have swam, boated, or paddled around Kings Bay this winter, you have probably seen an unusual amount of eelgrass blades floating throughout the canals.

A closer look may have even revealed that some of the robust eelgrass beds you have grown accustomed to seeing might be looking a little thinner than usual.  No need for concern.  This is completely normal for this time of year! Just like any other submerged or terrestrial plant, it is common for eelgrass to display seasonal variation in biomass (volume). In other words, just like an oak tree loses its leaves in the fall, or the grass in your yard goes dormant during the winter, eelgrass has its own unique seasonal growth cycle.

Like most seagrasses in Florida, eelgrass displays peak above ground biomass from late spring until early fall. During this “growing season” each eelgrass shoot may have up to 15 leaves that can grow to nearly four feet in height. This results in beautiful, dense eelgrass meadows that have spread all throughout the northern portion of Kings Bay. During the winter months, however, the combination of cooler temperatures, shorter days, an increased number of herbivores, and a unique physiological response often result in leaf loss, slower growth rates, and a cause of concern for those who witness the change.

To understand the reason for this change, it is important to understand the ideal conditions for eelgrass growth.

Eelgrass growth is affected mostly by water temperature and light availability. Optimal growth occurs when water temperatures range from 77°F to 95°F. While it is true that spring water does release at a constant 72°F year-round, did you know that the average water temperature in Kings Bay can change quite a bit throughout the year? According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 02310742 station located in Kings Bay, Crystal River, water temperature ranged from 76°F to 87°F during the months of June to September this past year. During the month of December 2019, however, water temperature ranged from a high of 74°F and dipped down to a low of 64°F according to the same station. These values fall below the optimal temperature for eelgrass growth.

When it comes to light availability, laboratory studies have suggested that optimal eelgrass growth may occur when plants are exposed to a 20:4-hour ratio of sunlight to darkness. In other words, the more sunlight there is, the more growth will occur. While it may not seem like there is much of a change, did you know that the City of Crystal River received over three and a half more hours of sunlight on July 1st than it did on December 1st? In fact, the month of July averages 13 hours and 47 minutes of sunlight in Crystal River, whereas the month of December averages only 10 hours and 22 minutes. That’s nearly 25% longer days during the summer!

So, while the decrease in water temperature and sunlight availability may explain the lack of growth, what then accounts for the loss of existing leaves? This is actually a very normal response that is observed in nearly all seagrasses throughout Florida. In fact, most seagrass surveys that are done to identify or quantify an existing seagrass habitat are only accepted between the months of June and September. The reason for this is because seagrass displays such a drastic change in above ground biomass, that a survey done during the winter does not accurately account for the actual density or coverage of a seagrass meadow. Eelgrass, specifically, often displays up to 15 leaves per shoot during the growing season, and as few as three to five leaves per shoot during the winter months.

Another huge factor when it comes to wintertime leaf loss is the seasonal influx of manatees into Kings Bay. Manatees, which can eat up to a tenth of their body weight in seagrass per day, use Kings Bay as a thermal refuge when temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico become too cold. As a manatee grazes around a seagrass meadow, it is completely normal to see leaves float to the surface.

So, what can we expect?

Does eelgrass just shut off when the temperature gets too cold, the days get shorter, and manatees come to eat the blades? Well, from the surface it may appear that way, however, the winter is a crucial time in the survival, growth, and expansion of eelgrass. When above ground biomass, such as leaf formation, goes dormant, eelgrass shifts its focus into growing specific belowground structures called winter buds. Winter buds are formed at the end of summer and grow belowground throughout the duration of winter. They typically cannot be seen during the winter months unless you dig around the sediment a bit. These winter buds elongate throughout the winter and sprout as new shoots in the spring. Each of these winter buds is capable of then growing up to 20 new shoots over the next growing season! So, stay patient. Every winter we see the same seasonal changes in eelgrass density, and every spring it comes right back larger, healthier, and denser than we have seen before.

Guest Article

Written By:
Ryan Brushwood
Sea & Shoreline

Turbidity and Salinity in Water Quality

Have you ever been on Crystal River and not been able to see the bottom? Well, there are two possible reasons for this: water depth and suspended solids. The Gulf of Mexico can be very clear, but due to its depth, light can’t penetrate to the seafloor and reveal its sandy bottom. At its deepest point, the Gulf is 14,383 feet (more information here), and light can only penetrate 1,000 meters (~3280 feet). Therefore, it is impossible to see the Gulf floor without artificial lights.

Turbidity:

Crystal River is not nearly this deep, but due to high levels of turbidity, or suspended solids, sunlight doesn’t efficiently penetrate through the silt and organic matter suspended in the water. This is why even in the shallow water of Crystal River’s banks, you can only see shapes and outlines of the riverbed. 

Every body of water naturally has suspended solids. For example, a flowing river stirs particles up from the river floor and these bits of sediment collect throughout the water column. Have you ever done the stingray shuffle and looked at the plume of sand you made? The water becomes cloudy, and your feet almost disappear. This shuffle momentarily increases the turbidity of the water and provides a perfect example of why disturbed sediment makes the bottom of Crystal River hard to see. 

Three Sisters Springs has less turbidity than the water in the main river because the springs actively provide clear, filtered water from the aquifer (this is why the springs are so clear). The only solids suspended in a spring originate from around the vent where the water comes out. Sometimes, tourist can temporarily increase turbidity when they disturb the nearby sands too.

Suspended solids can quantify the “dirtiness” of the water. An excess of suspended solids indicate an unhealthy amount of dirt and organic matter in water.  Turbidity is dangerous in large quantities and changes from erosion along riverbanks or runoff caused by heavy rains. When suspended solids thicken, they block light from penetrating through the water. This prevents aquatic plants from photosynthesizing efficiently and harms every animal up the food chain. (I will write about the food chain in a future post.)

Salinity:

Along with suspended solids, salinity also helps determine water quality. Salinity measurements determine how much salt, in parts per thousand (ppt), is in a given volume of water. Most marine plants and animals either thrive in freshwater (less than 1,000 parts per million) or saltwater (~35 ppt). Some animals like bass, stingrays, and crabs can live in a range of salinities, but most marine animals cannot. If salinity were to increase or decrease drastically in any given body of water, it would alter the composition of the marine ecosystem.

Importantly, higher salinity water cannot hold as much dissolved oxygen as freshwater. Animals or plants that require high concentrations of dissolved oxygen to live will struggle to survive in a lower dissolved oxygen concentration. During the “No Name Storm” of 1993, the Gulf of Mexico flooded into Crystal River. This disturbed the riverbed and inundated the freshwater river with salty, Gulf Water. Almost thirty years later, Crystal River’s ecosystem has been struggling to recover from this salt water intrusion.

While Save Crystal River’s efforts to plant eelgrass does not reduce salinity, the grasses themselves have the capacity to thrive in both saltwater and freshwater. Along with this survival ability, eelgrass helps hold sediment at the bottom of the river floor, which reduces overall turbidity of the water. These traits make eelgrass perfect for restoring Crystal River’s clarity and providing a stable environment for indigenous wildlife. 

I’ll see you on the water,

Walker A. Willis

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Photo Credit:

Turbidity Chart: The Marine Research Council

Nitrates and pH in Water Quality

Nitrates:

Nitrates are organic compounds that consist of one nitrogen atom and three oxygen atoms. We consume nitrates everyday in meats and vegetables. Groundwater, our drinking water, typically has a nitrate concentration less than 2mg/L, which is safe for consumption. If nitrate levels rise above 2mg/L, the water is considered harmful to humans and wildlife because it can cause nitrate poisoning. 

Often caused by fertilizer runoff, excessive nitrates seep into our drinking water. Because Florida has extensive waterfront property, it is common for rain to wash landscape fertilizer from yards directly into waterways. Nitrates are not only tied to fertilizer, however, as they also increase in concentration due to leakage from wastewater, landfills, and septic systems.

Increased nitrate levels can cause methemoglobinemia, or “blue baby” syndrome (BBS). In BBS, high nitrate levels (from contaminated water) decrease the amount of hemoglobin transporting oxygen throughout the body. Without sufficient oxygen, the baby turns blue. Due to frequent water quality monitoring, this syndrome is not common, but it given enough reason to constantly regulate nitrate levels in drinking water. When nitrate levels increase in nearby waterways, it signals the presence of contaminants and the overall decrease in water quality.

 

This image shows that more acidic things have a lower pH and more basic things have a higher pH.

pH:

While regulating nitrates, scientists also seek to regulate pH because the two go hand in hand. Scientists use pH to determine if solutions, like water, are acidic, basic, or neutral. Higher nitrate concentrations can lower the pH, making the water more acidic.   

Most aquatic life can only tolerate a pH from 6-9, but if pH fluctuates out of this range, it could signal either a change in nitrate concentration or a change in dissolved carbon dioxide concentration. (See the chart above to see where household objects fall on the pH scale.) Even a slight change in pH can be devastating for marine life. 

Strong acids have the potential to burn or melt through metals. Imagine what would happen to an ocean if it became too acidic. It wouldn’t be a pretty sight (and would probably feel even worse to the fish!). Even if a larger fish could survive a change in pH, the microorganisms wouldn’t be able to adapt to the changes. Without these microorganisms, a domino effect takes place where animals all along the food chain begin to suffer the consequences.  pH can fluctuate from acid rain; the more acid rain, the more dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2), and the lower the pH becomes. (Acid rain is precipitation with acidic components, such as sulfuric or nitric acid.)

Both pH and nitrate levels are critical for determining water quality. Constant measuring and record keeping reveals trends in values and the effects of human actions. Generally speaking, a healthier body of water is one where pH and nitrate levels are close to its natural state. Save Crystal River works tirelessly each week to restore the Crystal River water quality, but they can’t do it alone. It is also up to us to be good stewards and to practice safe fertilizing. Crystal River, like all waterways near populated areas, needs our help to restore and maintain its natural state.

I’ll see you on the water,

Walker A. Willis

 

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Photo Credits:

Nitrate Chart: Beta Analytic Inc.

pH Scale: Science News for Students

Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen in Water Quality

Temperature:

We often think of temperature as how hot or cold something is, and that’s exactly how scientists think about it. Various water temperatures support different ecosystems.  Temperature affects an animal’s metabolism, rate of reproduction, and survival rate. Because different animals thrive at different temperatures, dramatically fluctuating temperatures jeopardize the survival of indigenous animals.

 There are many different factors affecting the temperature of Crystal River. For example, Three Sisters Springs feeds the river with a consistent water temperature of 68-75 degrees Fahrenheit, while the Gulf of Mexico either brings hot or cold water depending on the season. While a significant change in temperature does not necessarily indicate degrading water quality, a deviation from the norm of recorded temperatures can signal the presence of a contaminant. More contamination means lower water quality.

Measuring temperature helps quantify the amount of pollution caused by greenhouse gas emissions. For example, take the Crystal River nuclear power plant. Nuclear plants use water to cool their reactors. This makes the nearby water warmer. Consequently a few years ago, hundreds of manatees found refugee around nearby nuclear plants because of the warm water. (See link for more information: https://www.winknews.com/2020/01/22/manatees-gather-near-the-power-plant-in-fort-myers-to-keep-warm/)

Temperature is just one of the many factors scientists study when determining water quality. However, studying it alone is not enough to determine a convincing water quality measurement. Even a body of water with expected temperatures can have pollution. 

Dissolved Oxygen:

Interestingly, temperature directly relates to dissolved oxygen (DO), our next topic. The warmer the water, the less DO the water can hold, and the colder the water, the more DO it retains. Aquatic animals and plants require oxygen in the water to survive. If dissolved oxygen levels decrease from something like an algae bloom, these surface blooms will suffocate underwater life. 

Algae blooms happen when there is an excessive amount of nutrients in the water generated from phosphorus and nitrogen. (These elements are often found in fertilizers.) Therefore, cyanobacteria and algae can grow and reproduce at an incredibly fast rate. (We call this process biomagnification.) In order to grow, these organisms require oxygen, and they use up all of the DO from the water, making it impossible for any other life to survive. 

Additionally, a severe enough algae bloom can lead to a phenomena called red tide. Have you heard of a beach being closed due to red tide? Have you ever smelled a beach with red tide? The smell often comes from the dead fish that didn’t have enough oxygen to survive in the bloom. Sometimes, too much DO can be harmful. For marine life, an ideal amount of dissolved oxygen ranges from 6.5-8 mg/L (80-120% DO concentration). See the chart above for a visual.

Save Crystal River’s efforts to plant eelgrass has been a major component in maintaining a healthy DO concentration in the water. Eelgrass is known for producing large amounts of oxygen. As a result,  you can see oxygen released from the eelgrass blades and bubbling to the surface. In other words, since Save Crystal River is planting eelgrass, it raises the DO concentration and allows for a healthier ecosystem.

I’ll see you on the water,

Walker A. Willis

 

 

Photo Credit:

Dissolved Oxygen Chart: The Water Research Center

Introduction to Water Quality in Crystal River

Crystal River Florida is known for its vibrant, azure springs and “Old Florida” landscape.  How can you look out on a sawgrass prairie and not say “wow”?  Even though the landscape remains picturesque, the water quality of the river still drastically declines. Only 40 years ago, one could clearly see fish and manatee swimming below. Now in the main river, it is hard to spot any fish unless they jump from the murky water.  

What exactly defines water quality though? Water quality simply is the state or condition of the water. When calculating water quality in Crystal River, marine biologists must consider many aspects: temperature, suspended solids, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and nitrate concentration. Biologists measure many other element concentrations, but we will not focus on them right now. I will briefly define the terms mentioned above, but I plan on addressing them each individually on different posts.

 

Definitions: 

Temperature: It measures the relative hotness or coldness of the water.

Suspended solids: It measures small solid particles floating or suspended in water (comparable to turbidity or cloudiness in the water).

pH: It measures the acidity or basicity of the water (higher pH = more basic; lower pH = more acidic).

Dissolved oxygen: It measures the amount of dissolved oxygen in water over a given area of space. 

Salinity: It measures the saltiness of the water.

Nitrate: It measures the amount and type of nitrates (harmful in high concentrations) found in water. 

  

Marine biologists run tests at least once a year to identify trends and see patterns in water quality data. Sadly, according to the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Crystal River’s water quality has been decreasing rapidly due to human pollutants. The lower the water quality, the harder it is for the ecosystem to thrive. Thankfully Three Sisters and Hunter Springs are places of high water quality where manatee, birds, and fish can take refuge. Sadly though, even these landmark locations suffer from degrading water quality.

 

What’s being done?

Thankfully, there are people willing and able to help restore the river to its original good health. The organization Save Crystal River has been working tirelessly since their foundation in 2011 to preserve the river and restore the degraded areas. Their impact can already be seen through the improved water quality in project zones and in downstream locations.  Save Crystal River’s success inspired Homosassa to organize a similar project called the Homosassa River Restoration Project, which is currently waiting for their final permit before they begin work. (Check out their website for more information: https://homosassariverrestorationproject.com/about/) 

 In these next few posts, I will explain the factors that determine water quality and how good water quality is essential for a healthy ecosystem. I’ll lead you through Save Crystal River’s three step plan to accomplish their mission and hope you will share this information with others. Maybe you will even consider chipping in your time and energy to make our river even more captivating. 

I’ll see you on the water,

Walker A. Willis

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