This project contributes to the Science Component of the St. Johns River Water Management District Springs Protection Initiative (SPI), http://www.sjrwmd.com/springs/initiative.html. The partnership is called the “Collaborative Research Initiative on Sustainability and Protection of Springs,” or CRISPS. While the overall goal of the SPI is to acknowledge that effective management of springs requires that understanding of the relative influences and manageability of the numerous natural and anthropogenic forcings that affect their ecological health, the objectives of this portion of research are as follows:
- Identify the major algal grazers and their consumers.
- Determine algal growth and grazing rates of small grazer species.
- Assess the potential for top-down (consumer) control of key grazers in the ecosystem which were identified in objectives 1 and 2.
The purpose of this work plan is to identify and prioritize research activities that will allow for the acquisition of biological data necessary to make informed management decisions regarding potential control measures that can be used to suppress algal dominance in Florida’s spring systems and enhance possible restoration efforts. For more information regarding the SPI project, visit: http://www.sjrwmd.com/springs/investigation.html |
