Project: Ecosystem History of South Florida Projects

Components: Paleosalinity as a Key for Success Criteria in South Florida Restoration (current): Critical Results: South Florida Ecosystem History (final year): Ecosystem History: Terrestrial and Fresh-water Ecosystems of southern Florida (final year): Ecosystem History of Florida Bay and the southwest coast (final year); Ecosystem History of Biscayne Bay and the southeast coast (final year)

Web Site: http://flaecohist.er.usgs.gov (now http://sofia.usgs.gov/flaecohist/), ftp://flaecohist.er.usgs.gov, http://geology.er.usgs.gov/eespteam/fla/home.html , http://flaecohist.er.usgs.gov/database/default.asp, http://flaecohist.er.usgs.gov/database/QueryHome.asp

Location: Southeastern and Central (2,3,4,6) Regions, including Florida Bay; Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach Counties

Principal Investigators: Bruce R. Wardlaw, bwardlaw@usgs.gov, 703.648.5288; G. Lynn Brewster-Wingard, lwingard@usgs.gov, 703.648.5352; Thomas M. Cronin, tcronin@usgs.gov, 703.648.6363

Project Personnel: Charles W. Holmes,cholmes@usgs.gov, 727.803.8747x3056; Marci E. Marot, mmarot@usgs.gov, 727.803.8747x3057; Robert G. Stamm, rstamm@usgs.gov, 703.648.5271; Debra A. Willard, dwillard@usgs.gov, 703.648.5320

Project Contractors: Gary S. Dwyer, gdwyer@eos.duke.edu, 919.681.8164; Jacqueline K. Huvane, jhuvane@duke.edu, 919.613.8110; Scott E. Ishman, sishman@geo.siu.edu, 618.453.7377; Sarah Schwede, sschwede@usgs.gov, 703.648.6965; Jeffery R. Stone, jstone@usgs.gov, 703.648.6773

Other Supporting Organizations: (SFWMD, USACE, ENP, Biscayne National Park (BNP); Dade County DERM, Florida Marine Research Institute (FL DEP - FMRI); Florida Institute of Oceanography, Keys Marine Lab (FIO-KML); FGS, NOAA; Florida Bay Program Management Council (PMC)

Associated Projects: Historical and Synoptic Review of the Impact of development on the environment in the agricultural urban corridor (R. Renken, rarenken@usgs.gov), Salinity Patterns in Florida Bay: A Synthesis (M. Robblee, mike_robblee@usgs.gov), Interrelation of Everglades Hydrology and Florida Bay Dynamics to Ecosystem Restoration Dynamics (R. Schaffranek, rws@usgs.gov), Sediment production, transport and accumulation in Florida Bay (R. Halley, rhalley@usgs.gov), Freshwater Discharge to Florida Bay (E. Patino, epatino@usgs.gov), Concentrations of dissolved elements, Geochemical processes in organic rich sediment (W. Orem, borem@usgs.gov), Florida Bay, Bathymetry and Sedimentation (R. Halley, rhalley@usgs.gov), Hydrogeology of Florida Bay and Florida Keys (G. Shinn, eshinn@usgs.gov)

Overview & Status: This project will develop, refine and utilize a variety of proxies to provide estimates of seasonal, interannual, and decadal salinity history of Florida Bay and adjacent bays based on strategically placed sediment cores that aid in the validation and sensitivity testing of hydrologic models and decision making in water management. The elemental shell chemistry of ostracode valves and the carbon and oxygen isotopes in growth increments on mollusk shells will be analyzed to determine seasonal variability in salinity over the last 150 years. An algorithm will be developed to predict expected salinity ranges for specific sites following a given monthly rainfall. Previous work in the Ecosystem History of South Florida and allied projects has established that refined salinity records can be developed through chemical and biotic analysis. Biologic studies show that growth in microfossils and micro-molluscs indicate specific seasonality. This allows for the calculation of seasonal variability and maxima over the past 150 years which is now being undertaken.

Needs & Products: A large number of peer reviewed publications have been produced b various investigators on this project.

Application to Everglades Restoration: Refined seasonal, interannual, and decadal salinity history for the last 150 years should provide a powerful tool for the validation and sensitivity testing of hydrologic models and establishment of success criteria in restoration management.