| Establishing a favorable submersed plant assemblage in Kings Bay remains a primary objective for the Southwest Florida Water Management District because such an assemblage should improve water clarity and wildlife habitat. According to recent research, the submersed plant assemblage in Kings Bay has changed. The coverage of native macrophytes, particularly Vallisneria americana, has decreased, and invasive or undesirable plants and algae, such as Myriophyllum spicatum and Lyngbya spp., have become more prevalent (Frazer and Hale 2001; Hauxwell et al. 2004a). In addition, research has implicated decreased coverage of rooted, aquatic macrophytes as a cause of diminished water clarity in the bay (Hoyer et al. 2001). Plans to establish a favorable plant assemblage in Kings Bay will benefit from an improved understanding of the form and causes of spatial and temporal variations in the distribution and abundance of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV). Mapping of total SAV, angiosperms, macroalgae, native taxa, non-native taxa and percentage of cover and biomass of filamentous algae was done and spatial patterns observed. |
