The One Lagoon Monitoring Plan:
A Comprehensive, Coordinated, and Integrated IRL Monitoring Plan
Final Report for Contract No. IRL2019-14
Submitted to Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program
December 19, 2022
HBOI Technical Report #202

M. Dennis Hanisak and David Heuberger
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University

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One Lagoon Monitoring Plan:
A Comprehensive, Coordinated, and Integrated IRL Monitoring Plan
Table of Contents
Page
1.0 Executive Summary List and Definitions of Acronyms and Abbreviations ….………… 5
1.1 Executive Summary ……………………………………………………………………… 5
1.2 List of Acronyms and Their Definitions …………………………………………………. 9
2.0 Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………….. 12
2.1 Purpose of the One Lagoon Monitoring Plan …………………………………………… 12
2.2 Geographic Scope of the One Lagoon Monitoring Plan ………………………………... 12
2.3 The Steering Committee and Its Role …………………………………………………… 14
3.0 Background ………………………………………………………………………………... 15
3.1 Indian River Lagoon ………………………………………………………………….… 15
3.2 Alignment with IRLNEP’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan …….. 17
3.3 Comprehensive Monitoring Program Issues …………………………………………… 18
3.3.1 Why monitor the IRL? ……………………………………………………………. 18
3.3.2 Monitoring vs. sampling ………………………………………………………….. 18
3.4 Historical Perspective on IRL Monitoring ……………………………………………… 21
4.0 Criteria for Inclusion in the One Lagoon Monitoring Plan …………………………….. 22
5.0 Inventory of Existing IRL Monitoring and the One Lagoon Workshop……..………… 23
6.0 The One Lagoon Monitoring Plan………………………………………………………... 24
6.1 Overview of the Monitoring Plan ………………………………………………………. 24
6.2 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Water Quality ……………………………………… 39
6.2.1 Impaired Waters & Stormwater …………………………………………………... 39
6.2.2 Wastewater ……………………………………………………………………….. 55
6.2.3 Hydrology and Hydrodynamics ………………………………………………….. 55
6.2.4 Atmospheric Deposition …………………………………………….……………. 57
6.2.5 Healthy Sediments & Contaminants of Emerging Concern …………….………… 59
6.2.6 Summary of Water Quality Parameters Measured by the One Lagoon Network ... 60

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Page
6.3 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Healthy Habitats …………………………………… 64
6.3.1 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Seagrasses …………………………………… 67
6.3.2 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Filter Feeders ………………………………… 73
6.3.3 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Wetlands and Impounded and Altered Marshes … 76
6.3.4 Summary of Healthy Habitats Parameters Measured by the One Lagoon Network …. 80
6.4 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Living Resources ………………………………….. 81
6.4.1 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Biodiversity ………………………………….. 81
6.4.2 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Species of Concern ………………………..… 86
6.4.3 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Fisheries ……………………………………... 95
6.4.4 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Forage Fishes ………………………………… 97
6.4.5 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) ……………… 97
6.4.6 Summary of Living Resources Parameters Measured by the One Lagoon Network …102
7.0 The One Lagoon Monitoring Network: SWOT Analysis ………………………………. 103
7.1 The One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Strengths ………………….…………………. 103
7.2 The One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Weaknesses and Gaps …………………….… 114
7.2.1 Weaknesses ……….………………………………..…………….……………... 114
7.2.2 Gaps ……………………………………………………………………………... 124
7.3 The One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Opportunities ………………………………… 130
7.4 The One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Threats ………………………………………. 134
8.0 Financing the Network: Long-Term Sustainable Funding ……………………………. 135
9.0 Priority Action Recommendations for the One Lagoon Monitoring Network –Looking Ahead to 2030 ……………………….………………………………………….. 137
9.1 Priority Action Recommendation 1: One Lagoon Monitoring Network Task Force ….. 137
9.2 Priority Action Recommendation 2: One Lagoon Monitoring Network Financial Plan …. 137
9.3 Priority Action Recommendation 3: Resources ……………………………………….. 137
9.4 Priority Action Recommendation 4: Gaps in Data ……………………………………. 138
9.5 Priority Action Recommendation 5: Data Access …………………………………….. 139
9.6 Priority Action Recommendation 6: Use of the Data ………………………………….. 140
9.7 Outcomes of Priority Action Recommendations ………………………………………. 140
10.0 Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………………………... 142
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11.0 Literature Cited ……………………………………………………………………….... 144
12.0 Appendices ……………………………………………………………………………….. A1
Appendix 1 – One Lagoon Monitoring Plan (Blank) ……………………………………… A2Appendix 2 – One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire (One Lagoon Network Participants) .... A7
Appendix 3 – One Lagoon Questionnaires (Research Projects) ……………………….... A306
Appendix 4 – One Lagoon Workshop Attendees …..…………………………………... A376
Appendix 5 – One Lagoon Workshop Documents …….…………………………......... A378
Appendix 6 – One Lagoon Workshop Surveys (Blank) ………………………………… A385
Appendix 7 – One Lagoon Workshop Surveys Summary …………………………….… A392

Please cite this report as:
M. Dennis Hanisak and David Heuberger. 2022. The One Lagoon Monitoring Plan: A
Comprehensive, Coordinated, and Integrated IRL Monitoring Plan. Final Report for Contract
No. IRL2019-14. Submitted to Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program, December 19,
2022. HBOI Technical Report #202, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic
University, Fort Pierce, Florida. 148 pp. & 418 pp. appendices.

41.0 Executive Summary and List and Definitions of Acronyms and Abbreviations
1.1 Executive Summary
The Indian River Lagoon is a highly diverse, shallow-water estuary of national significancestretching along 40% of Florida’s east coast. The IRL is located in a transition zone between
temperate and subtropical zones. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designatedthe IRL as an “estuary of national significance” in 1995. As part of this designation, the lagoon is
known for its high biological diversity. Furthermore, the IRL’s economic value to Florida issignificant. Detrimental inputs from the watershed have increased over the last century leading to
declines in both water quality and the overall health of the IRL. Urbanization, excessive freshwater
releases, degradation of water quality, contaminant loading, loss of habitat (e.g., seagrasses andmangroves), harmful algal blooms, decline of fisheries, and emerging diseases in marine mammals
and other biota are increasingly important issues in the IRL.
The One Lagoon Monitoring Plan supports the Comprehensive Conservation and Management
Plan (CCMP) of the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program (IRLNEP), as part of its ONE
VOICE Mission (IRLNEP 2019). One key goal under that mission is to “coordinate IRL
monitoring, data sharing, and mapping throughout the IRL and its watershed.” Achieving the
CCMP goals requires the development of a coordinated, integrated, and well-managed monitoring
network in the IRL. This monitoring plan is the first step towards the development of such a
network. The One Lagoon Monitoring Plan treats monitoring as an approach to detect andtrack metrics of IRL health and to assess and communicate the effectiveness of CCMP
Actions. In addition to the IRLNEP, other users of this plan may include estuarine scientists,
resource managers, urban planners, educators, and the interested public.
This document presents the vision for the One Lagoon Monitoring Plan: A Comprehensive,
Coordinated and Integrated IRL Monitoring Plan. The plan for the Indian River Lagoon
identifies and improves accessibility to existing assets and gaps in data or analyses, as well as
emerging needs and opportunities, with conclusive and specific recommendations for action.
Ideally, this plan will lead to an integrated, comprehensive monitoring network for the IRL thatwill:
• provide a comprehensive set of accessible data on conditions and biological resources,
recognizing that data on socioeconomic conditions represent valuable, future additions;• support the assessment of progress toward consensus targets, including identifying potential
barriers to success and their causes, and how to remove them;• facilitate adaptive management of the IRL;
• be a resource for the research community, resource managers, and the public interested inunderstanding management of the IRL; and• lead to a healthy lagoon.
The first step in this project was cataloging ongoing monitoring in the IRL for inclusion in the One
Lagoon Monitoring Network. The intent of this effort was to identify who, what, where, and when
the data are collected within the IRL. In addition the monitoring efforts were linked with the5

IRLNEP CCMP vital signs. FAU Harbor Branch staff, with input and approval by the Steering
Committee, developed a questionnaire that was sent out to personnel involved with current IRL
monitoring efforts. The questionnaire requested information on each organization’s current
monitoring program(s), including a description, general geographic location, the availability of
ArcGIS shapefiles depicting study areas/sites, parameters measured, CCMP Vital Signs andindicators addressed, existence of QA/QC (Quality Assurance/Quality Control), and willingness
to share the data. Before drafting the Monitoring Plan, the Steering Committee hosted a half-day
virtual meeting on November 19, 2020, to share with key members of the IRL research andmanagement community an initial synthesis of the scope and scale of IRL monitoring activities
and to develop recommendations on how to advance those efforts. To maximize active
participation, interactive surveys were incorporated directly into the workshop. Surveys were
presented at the end of each of three presentations which reviewed ongoing monitoring for the
Water Quality, Healthy Habitats, and Living Resources Vital Signs categories.
With review by the Steering Committee, and as presented at the One Lagoon Workshop,
monitoring projects that met the criteria for inclusion in the One Lagoon Monitoring Network wereorganized and aligned by the Vital Signs categories of Water Quality, Healthy Habitats, and Living
Resources in the IRLNEP CCMP (Section 3.2). A total of 66 monitoring projects being
conducted by 24 organizations were identified as current contributors to the One Lagoon
Monitoring Network (Fig. 4) and include six federal agencies, six state agencies, three
counties, four universities, and seven non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
A SWOT analysis was subsequently conducted on the information gathered on the One
Lagoon Network. From that analysis major strengths include the following:• IRLNEP has a strong vision for stewardship and restoration needs of the IRL, which is welldefined in the CCMP.
• Extensive monitoring of IRL water quality, habitats, and living resources is currently inplace.
• IRL researchers and resource managers have strong capabilities and are committed toapplying them to the stewardship and restoration needs of the IRL.
Weaknesses per the SWOT include:• The availability of monitoring data collected by the network is variable.
• There is no central website that lists and provides links to all IRL monitoring efforts andhow to get the data, metadata, and available syntheses/analyses• The network does not address integration across connected waterbodies and watersheds andits current components are not structured at similar spatiotemporal scales.
• Not all IRL Vital Signs are adequately addressed and improvements in their monitoring canbe made.
• There are spatial (geographic) gaps in existing IRL monitoring.
• There are temporal (monitoring frequency) gaps in existing IRL monitoring.
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Significant opportunities per the SWOT include:• Increased use of both established and 21st Century monitoring technologies will expand thescope, spatial coverage, frequency, quality, and availability of data.
• New partnerships with the private sector will expand IRL monitoring expertise andresources.
• Greater coordination and integration of effort with other NEPs, especially the other three in
Florida, will strengthen IRL monitoring efforts.
• Preservation of relevant and available IRL legacy data will expand baseline information that
may otherwise be lost.
• Initiation and maintenance of a digital library of publications and presentations will
facilitate distribution of IRL monitoring results and analyses.
• Greater involvement of community (citizen) science will increase the human resource in the
network and broaden the stewardship of the IRL.
• Greater communication with and translation of science to community will help garner more
support of the work of the IRLNEP.
Significant threats per the SWOT are:
• The most serious threat to the network is the lack of adequate and sustained long-term
financing• Climate change is a serious threat to the water quality, habitats, and living resources of the
IRL and its monitoring.
Six Priority Action Recommendations are made based on the findings of this report:
Priority Action Recommendation 1: Establish a One Lagoon Monitoring Network Task Forceto advise the IRLNEP on implementing monitoring that will support IRLNEP’s vision for
stewardship and restoration needs of the IRL.
Priority Action Recommendation 2: Develop a specific financial analysis for the One Lagoon
Monitoring Network.
Priority Action Recommendation 3: Work collaboratively to obtain and deploy resources needed
to maintain, expand, or initiate long-term IRL monitoring programs to meet demands of managing
the IRL, with such resources including: funding; communication, coordination, and collaboration
among those involved in monitoring; and greater involvement of community (citizen) scientists
and increased community awareness of IRLNEP.
Priority Action Recommendation 4: Work collaboratively to identify and fill gaps in the dataneeded to support management of the IRL, such as:• Gaps in the parameters or metrics monitored as related to the CCMP’s Vital Signs• Gaps in locations monitored that prevent rigorous and reliable insights into the efficacy ofmanagement or valuable adaptations

7• Gaps in the frequency of monitoring that prevent rigorous and reliable insights into theefficacy of management or valuable adaptations• Gaps in the approach to monitoring, e.g., use of 21st century technology, that reduce
efficiency or effectiveness• Development of a more spatiotemporally integrated monitoring framework to create aplatform of integrated data and results• As new monitoring methods evolve, creation of suitable conversion algorithms thatcompare the two old and new methods to ensure that time series are maintained• Development of standard monitoring plan and post-project report templates for future
projects to allow for better comparison of results and evaluation of successPriority Action Recommendation 5: Work collaboratively to design and implement an array of
approaches that provide access to data, analyses, and interpretations that meet the demands ofmanaging the IRL, such as:• Providing consistent and widespread access to data as they are collected, reviewed,
accepted, analyzed, and interpreted, e.g., a portal with links to active programs through
IRLNEP and appropriate partners• Storing and providing access to maps and relevant metadata related to resources in the IRL• Storing and providing access to legacy data with relevant metadata• Creating a multilayered, integrated database that can be used to reveal the interactions of
the many data layers (i.e., environmental variables being measured) in space and time
• Providing a digital library of publications, trend analyses, and presentations
Priority Action Recommendation 6: Work collaboratively to ensure that relevant data areincorporated into the adaptive management of the IRL, such as:• Evaluating the status of, and any trends in, key parameters relative to agreed metrics• Triggering an appropriate response when data indicate a need
• Evaluating the effects of projects designed to restore the lagoon• Adapting action plans, operations, or monitoring to increase the efficacy of efforts to restore
the lagoon and efforts to document progress• Demonstrating accountability by making useful and useable information available to the
public, with due regard for the diversity of targeted audiences
The collective outcomes of the Priority Action Recommendations are presented within thethree CCMP outcome categories: Short-term (1 – 2 years); Medium-term (3 – 4 years); andLong-term (5 – 10+ years). Every five years, a detailed analysis of the network should be
conducted, including identification of what needs to be changed or improved. Success metrics
should be linked to indicators and targets for each vital sign in IRLNEP’s CCMP. Monitoringneeds not only to document long-term effects of climate change on the IRL’s water quality, habitats
and living resources, but also to serve as a tool to evaluate management actions on addressing
climate change. The ultimate outcome of the One Lagoon Network is a robust,8

comprehensive, and integrated system for monitoring the health of the IRL that will: provide
a comprehensive set of accessible data on conditions and biological resources; support theassessment of progress toward consensus targets, including identifying potential barriers to successand the causes of those barriers; facilitate adaptive management of the IRL; be a resource for the
research community, resource managers, and the public interested in understanding managementof the IRL; and lead to a healthy lagoon.
1.2 List and Definitions of Acronyms and Abbreviations
AI
AWT
BMAP
CASTNET
CBP
CCMP
CDOM
CERP
CHIMMP
COASTSPAN
CPUE
CR
DARPA
DBHYDRO
DDT
DMA
DNA
DO
DOI
ECFRPCeDNA
EPA
FACT Network
FAU
FDACS
FDEP
FDOH
fDOM
FIM
FISC
FIT
FKH
FLEPPCFLUCCSFOS

Artificial Intelligence
Advanced Wastewater Treatment
Basin Management Action Plan
Clean Air Status and Trend Network
Chesapeake Bay Program
Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
Colored Dissolved Organic Matter
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan
Coastal Habitat Integrated Mapping and Monitoring Program
Coastal Shark Population Assessment and Nursery Program
Catch per Unit Effort
County Road
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
South Florida Water Management District’s Environmental Database
Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane
Drift Macroalgae
Deoxyribonucleic Acid
Dissolved Oxygen
Digital Object Identifiers
East Central Florida Regional Planning Council
Environmental DNA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Florida Atlantic Coast Telemetry Network
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Florida Department of HealthFluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter
Fisheries Independent Monitoring
Florida Invasive Species Council
Florida Institute of Technology
Fish Kill Hotline
Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council
Florida Land Use Cover and Forms Classification System
Florida Oceanographic Society
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FSA
FWC
FWH
FWRI
GIS
GPS
HAB
HPLC
HSI
HSWRI
ICW
ICZM
IOOS
IRL
IRLNEP
IRLON
IRLSI
KSC
LBR
LRD
MarineGEO
MCMC
MDC
MIPS
MRC
MRIP
NASA
NCCA
NCB
NCCOS
NEP
NESEA
NGO
NOAA
NPS
OIMMP
ORCA
PAH
PAR
PCB
PFAS
PFOA
pCO2
PFOS
PI

Florida Shorebird Alliance
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Fish and Wildlife Health Program
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Geographic Information System
Global Positioning System
Harmful Algal Bloom
High Pressure Liquid Chromatography
Habitat Suitability Index
Hubbs Seaworld Research Institute
Intracoastal Waterway
Integrated Coastal Zone Management
Integrated Ocean Observing System
Indian River Lagoon
Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program
Indian River Lagoon Observatory Network of Environmental Sensors
Indian River Lagoon Species Inventory
Kennedy Space Center
Legislative Budget Request
Loxahatchee River District
Marine Global Earth Observatory
Markov Chain Monte Carlo
Marine Discovery Center
Manatee Individual Photo-identification System
Marine Resources Council
Marine Recreational Information Program
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Coastal Condition Assessment
North Coastal Basins
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
National Estuary Program
Northern Estuaries SAV Ecosystem Assessment
Non-Governmental Organization
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Park Service
Oyster Integrated Mapping and Monitoring Program
Ocean Research & Conservation Association, Inc.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Photosynthetically Active Radiation
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
Perfluorooctanoic Acid
Partial Pressure of Carbon Dioxide
Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid
Principal Investigator
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PMN
PVC
QA/QC
QAPP
QARTODRAPRECOVERSAVSECN
SECOORASET
SET-MHSFWMD
SIRL
SJRWMD
SLE
SLP
SMS
SOP
STORET
SWIM
SWOT
TCRPC
TMDL
UAV
UCF
USGS
VAB
WIN
WQMN
WWTP
YOY

Phytoplankton Monitoring Network
Polyvinyl Chloride
Quality Assurance/Quality Control
Quality Assurance Project Plan
Quality Assurance of Real Time Ocean Data
Reasonable Assurance Plan
REstoration COordination & VERification
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation
Southeast Coast Network
Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association
Surface Elevation Table
Surface Elevation Tables Marker Horizons
South Florida Water Management District
Southern Indian River Lagoon
St. Johns River Water Management District
St. Lucie Estuary
Specialty License Plates
Smithsonian Marine Station
Standard Operating Procedure
STOrage and RETrieval
Surface Water Improvement and Management
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council
Total Maximum Daily Load
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
University of Central Florida
U.S. Geological Survey
Vehicle Assembly Building
Watershed Information Network
Water Quality Monitoring Network
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Young-of-year11

2.0 Introduction
2.1 Purpose of the One Lagoon Monitoring Plan
The One Lagoon Monitoring Plan is a descriptive and strategic document supporting theComprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) of the Indian River Lagoon National
Estuary Program (IRLNEP), as part of its ONE VOICE Mission (IRLNEP 2019). One key goal
under that mission is to “coordinate IRL (Indian River Lagoon) monitoring, data sharing, andmapping throughout the IRL and its watershed.” Achieving the goals of the CCMP will require
the development of a coordinated, integrated, and well-managed monitoring network in the
IRL. The One Lagoon Monitoring Plan treats monitoring as an approach to detect and track
metrics of IRL health and to assess and communicate the effectiveness of CCMP Actions. In
addition to the IRLNEP, other prospective users of this plan include estuarine scientists, resource
managers, urban planners, educators, and the interested public.
This document presents the vision for the One Lagoon Monitoring Plan: A Comprehensive,
Coordinated and Integrated IRL Monitoring Plan. The goal is to assemble a comprehensive
monitoring plan for the Indian River Lagoon that identifies and improves accessibility toexisting assets, gaps in data or analyses, emerging needs and opportunities, and specificrecommendations for action. This plan should lead to an integrated, comprehensive monitoring
network for the IRL that will:• provide a comprehensive set of accessible data on conditions and biological resources,
recognizing that data on socioeconomic conditions represent valuable, future additions;• support the assessment of progress toward consensus targets, including identifying potential
barriers to success and their causes and how to remove them;• facilitate adaptive management of the IRL;
• be a resource for the research community, resource managers, and the public interested inunderstanding management of the IRL; and• lead to a healthy lagoon.
2.2 Geographic Scope of the One Lagoon Monitoring Plan
The Indian River Lagoon System is generally described as extending from the Ponce de Leon Inlet
in Volusia County, south to the Jupiter Inlet in Palm Beach County, including its main basins: theIndian River, Banana River, Mosquito Lagoon, and the St. Lucie Estuary (SLE). The geographic
scope of this monitoring plan, however, is defined by the IRLNEP planning boundary (Fig. 1),
which also includes the southern portion of the Halifax River in Volusia County (added by a formalboundary amendment adopted in 2016).
For the purpose of this monitoring plan, the area within the IRLNEP planning boundary has been
divided into six sub-basins or watershed assessment units established by the Florida Departmentof Environmental Protection (FDEP). They include the Halifax River, Mosquito Lagoon, Banana
River, Northern IRL, Central IRL, and Southern IRL including the St. Lucie Estuary (Fig. 1). The
monitoring plan does not include the IRL’s watershed and upper reaches of its numerous
freshwater tributaries and drainage canals.
12Figure 1. Map of the One Lagoon IRLNEP sub-basins.

132.3 The Steering Committee and Its Role
A key component of developing this monitoring plan was garnering guidance from a Steering
Committee. Some of the members were identified during the development of the project, whileothers were selected, with guidance from IRLNEP staff once the contract had been awarded.
Representatives from 15 organizations involved in IRL research and management comprised thefinal Steering Committee. Collectively, these individuals have significant expertise on various
aspects of IRL monitoring, while also representing the geographic regions of the IRL and a diverse
assemblage of organizations: academia, governmental, and non-governmental (Table 1).
Table 1. The IRL Monitoring Program Steering Committee
Jeff Beal, Ducks Unlimited
Katie Bowes, Martin County
J. Cho, Bethune-Cookman University
Derek Cox, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Duane De Freese, Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program
Warren Falls, Ocean Research & Conservation Association
Austin Fox, Florida Institute of Technology
Dennis Hanisak, FAU Harbor Branch
Jenny Hansen, Brevard County
Chuck Jacoby, St. Johns River Water Management District
Amanda Kahn, South Florida Water Management District
Valerie Paul, Smithsonian Marine Station
Leesa Souto, Marine Resources Council
David Sumner, United States Geological Survey
Linda Walters, University of Central Florida
The Steering Committee provided guidance through all phases of the project, from thedevelopment of a questionnaire, through the planning and execution of a stakeholder workshop, tothe planning, drafting, and review of this report. The Steering Committee had monthly meetings(n = 10) from March to December 2020. The first meeting was done in person; due to the COVID
pandemic, the remaining meetings were all done virtually, via Zoom. Following each Steering
Committee meeting, the PI (Principal Investigator) sent out meeting notes and action items to becompleted during the coming month. Progress on all action items was addressed at each subsequentmonthly meeting.

14

3.0 Background
3.1 Indian River Lagoon
The Indian River Lagoon is a highly diverse, shallow-water estuary of national significancestretching along 40% of Florida’s east coast (IRLNEP 2019). The IRL system is composed of three
distinct and connected estuaries (Fig. 1): the Indian River Lagoon, Banana River, and Mosquito
Lagoon. The IRL system extends 251 km (156 miles) from Ponce de Leon Inlet to Jupiter Inlet
and ranges from 0.8 km (0.5 miles) to 8.0 km (5 miles) wide. The IRL is located in a transitionzone between temperate and subtropical zones. The surface area of the lagoon is 914 km2 (353
miles2), and the surface area of its watershed is 5,916 km2 (2,284 miles2). The IRL is found in fivecounties (from north to south: Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin, with two
additional counties, Palm Beach and Okeechobee, within the watershed). Those counties have 38
incorporated cities, and approximately 1.6 million residents (IRLNEP 2019).
The IRL is a microtidal system that has limited exchange with the Atlantic Ocean through five
inlets (from north to south: Ponce de Leon, Sebastian, Fort Pierce, St. Lucie, and Jupiter; Fig. 1).
Port Canaveral also connects the ocean to the lagoon through an engineered lock system used foraccess by maritime vessels. Eddies and cross currents from the Florida Current (sometimes
incorrectly referred to as the Gulf Stream) helps moderate the climate of the IRL and carries more
tropical organisms from the south to the inlets. Water circulation within most of the IRL is winddriven due to the distance between inlets and the small tidal range on the east coast of Florida.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated the IRL as an “estuary of nationalsignificance” in 1995. As part of this designation, the lagoon is known for its high biologicaldiversity (Bulletin of Marine Science 1995, Hanisak and De Freese 2021). According to the IndianRiver Lagoon Species Inventory, currently maintained by the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort
Pierce (SMS), more than 4,400 species live in the IRL and its watershed. Furthermore, the IRL’s
economic value to Florida is quite significant (~$7.6 billion, ECFRPC and TCRPC 2016).
IRL Water Quality Issues
Detrimental inputs from the watershed have increased over the last century which has led to
declines in water quality and health of the IRL. Urbanization, excessive freshwater releases,
degradation of water quality, contaminant loading, loss of habitat (e.g., seagrasses and mangroves),
harmful algal blooms, decline of fisheries, and emerging diseases in marine mammals and otherbiota are increasingly important issues in the IRL (Sigua et al. 2000, Sime 2005, Reif et al. 2006,
Taylor 2012, Phlips et al. 2012, Phlips et al. 2015, Lapointe et al. 2015, Breininger et al. 2017,
Adams et al. 2019, Morris et al. 2022. Phlips et al. 2022), as they are throughout the world’s
estuaries and coastal waters (Kennish 2002, Lotze et al 2006). Given these changes, restoration of
the IRL represents a pressing need (IRLNEP 2019).
The IRL is at or past its tipping point and has experienced a dramatic shift from a system dominatedby benthic macrophytes (or submerged aquatic vegetation = SAV) to one dominated byphytoplankton (planktonic microalgae). This “phase shift” began in the northern IRL following a15then unprecedented algal bloom in 2011 (often referred to as the “superbloom”) composed
primarily of an unidentified nanoplanktonic chlorophyte, followed by a brown tide of Aureoumbra
lagunensis in 2012 (Gobler et al. 2013; Kang et al. 2015; Phlips et al. 2015). These blooms andthe resultant decline in seagrass far exceeded any past events in regard to geographic scale, bloom
intensity and duration, and rate and magnitude of seagrass loss (Kamerosky et al. 2015). Following
a modest recovery of seagrass from 2013-2015, blooms of brown tide returned in the northern IRL
in late 2015 and 2016 which further exacerbated the loss of seagrass and caused a massive fish kill
(http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/25/us/florida-fish-kill). Meanwhile, in the southern part of the IRL
system, major Lake Okeechobee discharges into the St. Lucie Estuary (SLE) have occurred every
3-5 years for decades, with increasing impacts to seagrass beds, oyster reefs, and other biologicalresources in the SLE and nearby IRL (Chamberlain and Hayward 1996; Sime 2005; Lapointe etal. 2012). Impacts of the 2016 discharge lasted for 9 months, resulting in blooms of toxic
cyanobacteria (Microcystis; Gearin 2016) and loss of seagrass in the southern IRL. While the shift
in the IRL over the last decade from a mesotrophic, seagrass-dominated system to a eutrophic,
microalgal dominated system appears to be quite sudden, the multiple stressors that contributed tothis change have been building for more than a century.
Connecting Users to IRL Data Initiative
In 2015, FAU Harbor Branch launched the Connecting Users to IRL Data Initiative (Hanisak andAdams 2016) to examine how IRL scientific data are collected, translated, and shared with users
and how to improve those processes. A workshop was convened on December 7-8, 2015. Prior tothat workshop, its Steering Committee developed and distributed a survey to 450 collectors andusers of data on water quality and biology. More than 95 data collectors and/or users representing
academia; non-profit organizations; private sector businesses; and federal, state, and local agencies
completed the survey. Results revealed what data were available and what new pathways (e.g.,social media, web publishing, file sharing and storage) would allow more effective data sharing
and dissemination to end users. At the workshop, 80 invited participants representing federal, stateand local agencies, academia, non-profit entities, elected officials, and the business sector(including estuarine scientists, urban planners, weather forecasters, resource managers, andeducators), shared their expertise about when, how, what, where, and which data are collected,
translated, and shared.
The 2015 IRL Data Initiative identified several major sampling efforts that could form an
integrated monitoring program for the IRL. These efforts are partnerships that measure water
quality and organisms from microbes to manatees, with frequencies that range from continuous(typically hourly) to monthly, annual, or longer. The availability of data varies, with a few
accessible databases, but no central repository currently exists for all IRL data. For the survey
results and final report of the IRL Data Initiative, see https://www.fau.edu/hboi/research/marineecosystem-conservation/irlo/collaborations/data-workshop/. The current monitoring plan builds
on the 2015 initiative by providing much more information about individual IRL efforts and how
they can become an integrated, comprehensive monitoring network for the IRL and be sustainedin the future.

16

3.2 Alignment with IRLNEP’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
Each of the 28 National Estuary Programs (NEPs) focuses within a study area that includes theestuary and surrounding watershed. Each NEP “involves local residents at all stages in thedevelopment and implementation of a regional plan to protect, restore, or enhance the quality ofwater, sediments, and living resources” (https://www.epa.gov/nep/overview-national-estuaryprogram). Each NEP develops a plan known as a Comprehensive Conservation and Management
Plan (CCMP) that contains actions to address challenges and priorities related to water quality andliving resources for its estuary. Each CCMP is reviewed periodically and updated to reflectchanging conditions and challenges.
IRLNEP made a significant overhaul of its CCMP in 2019 (IRLNEP 2019). The CCMP is focusedon Looking Ahead to 2030 and is “a science-based pathway to restore ecosystem and economic
health to the IRL that is long-term, non-regulatory, consensus-driven, and community-based”. Key
to the CCMP is the IRL Vital Signs wheel that presents 32 Vital Signs for IRL health that alignwith the "One Lagoon – One Community – One Voice" mission (Fig. 2). The IRL Monitoring Planaddresses the 20 Vital Signs under “One Lagoon”. As the Vital Sign Wheel demonstrates, the One
Lagoon Mission has three Vital Signs Categories: Water Quality, Healthy Habitats, and Living
Resources. In the future, IRLNEP also may wish to include One Community and One Voice, whichhave different types of metrics than One Lagoon. IRLNEP recognizes the critical importance ofmonitoring, as well as management, accessibility, and dissemination of data in a digestible anduseful format for decision-making.

Figure 2. The IRL Vital Signs wheel for the IRLNEP’s
Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP).
17

3.3 Comprehensive Monitoring Program Issues
3.3.1 Why monitor the IRL?
Monitoring the water quality, sediment, and biological resources of the IRL is important not only
to determine the current condition of the estuary, but also to ascertain the effectiveness ofmanagement and restoration. Management decisions and planned restoration scenarios must be
based upon quantifiable performance measures to adequately measure success. Having adequate
and reliable data allows these standards to be established and provides a framework for futurecomparisons. Monitoring networks must be in place and maintained if we are to effectively track
and understand how and why critical changes occur in the lagoon. Monitoring the IRL’s
conditions and resources are important to researchers, resource managers, and concerned citizens.
Monitoring data are readily amenable to mapping and GIS (Geographic Information System) toolsthat can quickly and effectively depict them. Monitoring data are also important to models thatcan be tools for assessing relationships among environmental conditions and the lagoon’s
resources and to hindcast and forecast conditions. Analysis of monitoring data can be used to
identify areas or conditions of concern in the IRL, point to the need for innovativetechnologies to address existing and newly identified problems, and evaluate the success ofsuch technologies. An excellent model for the IRL is the monitoring and restoration efforts in
Tampa Bay, as addressed in the foundational restoration assessment paper by Beck et al. 2019
resulting from their monitoring program and years of restoration projects. In summary,monitoring data is instrumental in the adaptive management process to guide successful
restoration efforts.
3.3.2 Monitoring vs. sampling
As defined by the EPA (see https://cfpub.epa.gov/watertrain/modulePopup.cfm?object_id=919),
monitoring is the “periodic or continuous collection of data (measured parameters) using
consistent methods to determine the status (the condition of the ecological resources) of a water
body and watershed and the changes in those measurements over time.” Thus, a monitoring
program is more than a collection of sampling efforts; it is an integrated effort to assesschanges in status, including changes due to local anthropogenic impacts and global impacts
like climate change, and as a means to determine the efficacy of various management actions.
Successful management and scientific progress rely heavily on sampling. Clear and consistentdistinctions among different types of multi-disciplinary sampling improve the likelihood that wewill design highly effective and efficient programs, make wise decisions when faced with
inevitable tradeoffs, interpret data appropriately, and communicate interpretations and relevant
caveats coherently and consistently. For the One Lagoon Monitoring Plan, the primary focus forsampling is supporting sustainable management of the IRL or science to support environmental
management. An understanding of how science and management can deliver value will help
differentiate the core purpose, form, and products of different types of sampling (Fig. 3).
An initial concern is to establish consensus targets for management and science, i.e.,
converting people’s values into objectives for resource managers and questions or hypotheses for

18

MANAGEMENTSCIENCE

ValuesA
Questions/Hypotheses

Objectives

B

C

Control(Act, Rule, Permit)

Criteria(TMDL, MFL)

Inventories

Baselines

Assessments

Process
Studies

Plans

Predictions

Implementation

DE

Feedback

MONITORING

FeedbackF
Feedout

Note: Solid black arrows indicate direct link in the overall process and dashed red arrows
indicate cross-fertilization; both types of links are important.

Figure 3. Linking management and science: management and science each formulate
their own contributions to the joint process. In this diagram, black arrows indicate direct
links in the overall process and red dashed arrows indicate cross-fertilization; bothtypes of links are important.

19

scientists (Fig. 3, A). In addition to measurable value, people’s perceptions of value will exert amajor influence on choices, in large part, because environmental management typically focuses on
managing people’s actions to reduce detrimental effects on the environment (conversely, we are
far less effective at getting complex systems to behave the way we would like). Nevertheless,values can extend beyond anthropocentric concerns like recreational and commercial fishing toinclude ecocentric concerns (i.e., focused on the whole environment, not just parts that are useful
to humans) about a diverse array of human-induced changes (especially detrimental changes,
which typically lead to undesirable changes in anthropocentric values). Converting fuzzy values
into more concrete attributes that, in turn, get translated into relevant and measurable
indicators can be challenging and critical steps in creating useful and useable objectives andquestions/hypotheses that relate to stressors to be managed.
Once objectives and questions/hypotheses are identified, management and science each formulate
their own contributions to the joint process (Fig. 3, B). In simple terms, management relies on
assembling a means of control, criteria to be met, and a method to assess conditions against thosecriteria. Science relies on several types of sampling to answer questions or test the hypotheses.
Inventories document key components of the system often through one-off sampling of numerous
sites, and such documentation includes species lists, maps of assets, and lists of stressors. Baselines
add a temporal component often at fewer sites, and in essence, they generate information about theexisting dynamics in the system. Baselines may be shifted from what is desirable, but sampling
provides information on where the baseline currently sits. In addition, such information identifies
noise that can mask a signal from successful or unsuccessful management. Inventories andbaselines may provide correlations with stressors, but well-designed tests of purported cause-effectlinks require process studies, often called experiments. Insights can be gained through rigorously
designed mensurative experiments (i.e., those that make measurements at different times or indifferent areas), but manipulative experiments (i.e., those that physically alter a treatment group)
often provide more detailed insights, especially if they are “push-me-pull-you” experiments thattest putative links in two directions (e.g., decreased light leads to decreased growth of seagrasses
and increased light accelerates growth).
Eventually, management and science generate outputs (Fig. 3, C). For resource managers, theoutputs can be categorized as plans, and outputs for scientists can be classed as predictions. Plans
essentially lay out steps to manage stressors, and predictions postulate how indicators will respondand how those responses translate into protection of the agreed values. Predictions should include
an explicitly stated model that will be used to analyze, test, and interpret observations, i.e., futuredata will be used rather than simply being collected. Plans and predictions get synthesized into
actions comprising implementation of the desired management (Fig 3, D).
Monitoring/surveillance drives adaptive management by evaluating what is happening against
what was expected to happen. This information can be fed back to adjust management actions orprompt new types of sampling. This role for a particular type of sampling continues as long as thesystem is managed. Thus, it is vital to focus sampling on key indicators, at key times, and in key
places. In addition, it is vital to have a useful and useable means of storing and accessing data,e.g., a database (Fig. 3, E).

20

Beyond helping to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our management and the depth andaccuracy of our insights into complex systems and their responses, monitoring also demonstrates
accountability for investment of resources. A feedout mechanism provides evidence that people’svalues are being protected to the best of everyone’s abilities (Fig. 3, F).
Based on the above, monitoring or surveillance programs are sampling programs that:• develop from an understanding of how the measured indicators relate to functioning of thesystem and its valued elements, i.e., monitoring/surveillance programs have been honed toa finer edge of effectiveness and efficiency by the results and insights garnered via
inventories, baselines, and process studies;• prescribe protocols for repetitive sampling at appropriate spatial and temporal scales;• store the resulting data in an accessible, useful, and useable way, e.g., a database;• contain explicitly stated models that underpin analysis, testing, and interpretation ofobservations;• link to management actions via targets, thresholds, or other key metrics;• include feedback mechanisms that foster improvements in management or understanding of
the system and its responses; and• incorporate feedout mechanisms that disseminate results and their implications to end-users.
In terms of focus, monitoring programs primarily target the cumulative effects of management
or the effects of specific activities. Sampling to document cumulative effects often is termedambient monitoring/surveillance, whereas more focused sampling is often called project-specificmonitoring/surveillance. In the case of project-specific monitoring, short-term sampling programs
probably are best considered process studies that deliver an enhanced understanding of how
the projects interact with the system of interest.
3.4 Historical Perspective on IRL Monitoring
Although there were earlier efforts (e.g., the Indian River Coastal Zone Survey conducted in the
1970’s by Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute; the three annual reports are available online athttps://fau.digital.flvc.org/islandora/search/?type=edismax&collection=fau%3Ahbirs), the firstcoordinated effort at long-term monitoring was related to the Surface Water Improvement andManagement (SWIM) Program , which was adopted by the state of Florida in 1989 (Steward et al.
1994) in compliance with the 1987 SWIM Act (Chapter 373.451-373.4595, F.S.). The SWIM Act
directed the St. Johns River and South Florida Water Management Districts (SJRWMD and
SFWMD), with the cooperation of state agencies and local governments, to design and implementa plan for the improvement of surface waters and habitats in the IRL. A key component of the IRL
SWIM Plan is the IRL Water Quality Monitoring Network (IRL-WQMN), established in 1988.
The IRL-WQMN is a coordinated multi-agency project spanning the entire length of the IRL
system; it is intended to generate information on the physical and chemical conditions in the IRL
and to infer the lagoon’s well-being or ecological integrity. Water quality monitoring in the IRL
system consists of sampling stations located at regular intervals throughout the IRL measuring anagreed suite of parameters. The initial participants in the network were the SJRWMD, SFWMD,
21

Volusia County, Brevard County, Indian River County, and what was then Dynamac Corporation(NASA Kennedy Space Center Life Sciences Support Contract). These agencies collectively
managed a total of 150 stations (nearly one station per 1.6 km of lagoon). The IRL-WQMN wasconceived as a management tool (Steward et al. 1994), with a mission to:• characterize the IRL over the long term – assess the status and trends in estuarine waterchemistry in relation to primary producers as indicators of biological integrity, especiallyseagrasses, the key macrophytes;• identify problem areas (via indicators of biological integrity or de-stabilization, e.g., sometrend toward phytoplankton dominance over macrophytes);• measure the effectiveness of management objectives and actions intended to remediate theproblem areas;• provide current information to re-direct or re-focus management plans; and• provide accountability to the public by relating progress toward restoration and protectionof the IRL.
Many of the same agencies involved in the IRL-WQMN also monitor or study the biologicalresources of the lagoon. Increasingly more monitoring and research efforts have been initiated byother agencies, universities, and NGOs. Thus, an IRL monitoring plan needs to obtain inputs
and contributions from a diverse group of participants that includes estuarine scientists,
urban planners, resource managers, and educators who represent federal, state, and local
agencies; academia; non-profit entities; elected officials, the business sector, and the public.
4.0 Criteria for Inclusion in the One Lagoon Monitoring Plan
The project team reviewed monitoring projects that existed in 2020 and could potentially form acollaborative network of monitoring agencies and organizations under the auspices of IRLNEP.
Key questions addressed by the team were:• Who is monitoring today?
• What are they monitoring?
• Where are they monitoring?
• When are they monitoring?
• Why are these data important? How are they used?
Important criteria for inclusion of sampling and monitoring data in the One Lagoon Monitoring
Plan are:• All sampling and monitoring programs under this network need to support
management of the IRL. Support can include advice for adaptive management actions,guidance for designing and implementing other sampling programs to fill gaps in our
knowledge and understanding, and proof of accountability and transparency. The IRLNEP
CCMP provides current targets for management through 32 Vital Signs (Fig. 2). These Vital
Signs, identified during the development of the CCMP, represent important issues that
individually and collectively contribute to restoration and protection of a healthy lagoon and22

its associated communities. Each Vital Sign is supported by specific actions, partnerships,
and resource needs and sources. Thus, sampling and monitoring programs in the One
Lagoon Monitoring Network must be designed to support the CCMP and to provide
answers to questions linked to one or more of its vital signs.
• All programs in the One Lagoon Monitoring Network must be active. The data fromthese programs will be used in ongoing efforts to evaluate the status of IRL ecosystems andeffectiveness of management actions, guide changes in management to enhance
effectiveness or efficiency, highlight gaps in our understanding to be filled by othersampling programs, and provide ongoing evidence that management is being conducted ingood faith. Legacy data remain highly valuable, but they do not fulfill the role of thisplan.
• All sampling and monitoring programs in the One Lagoon Monitoring Network mustcomply with an established quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) program [EPAfunded projects are required to have a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)]. It isessential to assess, document, and improve the quality of data collected via all programs
within this observation network. All elements of data collection within a program,including sample collection, analyses of samples, interpretation of results, and data
management must be clearly addressed and meet applicable quality standards.
• All monitoring and sampling programs in the One Lagoon Monitoring Network must
make their data freely accessible to IRL researchers, resource managers, and the
public, with due regard for the right to publish. Data sharing maximizes returns on
investments and demonstrates accountability and transparency. To facilitate accessibility,each participating program must have a database replete with metadata to beprovided after QA/QC processing online or via one or more of the program’s data
managers.
Some additional sampling efforts that do not currently fit these criteria and programs that may bedesired in the future can be identified and included in the One Lagoon Monitoring Plan,
particularly when those programs fill gaps in our knowledge and understanding or highlight
improved/new technologies.
5.0 Inventory of Existing IRL Monitoring Projects and the One Lagoon Workshop
An important first step for this project was cataloging ongoing monitoring efforts in the IRL for
inclusion in the One Lagoon Monitoring Network. The intent of this effort was to identify who iscollecting data in the IRL along with what, where, and when the data are collected. In addition, we
linked these monitoring efforts with the IRLNEP CCMP vital signs. FAU staff, with input andapproval by the Steering Committee, developed a questionnaire that was sent out to personnel
involved with IRL monitoring efforts (see Appendix 1 for the IRL Monitoring Questionnaire).
~120 questionnaires were sent out, and responses were received from 82 individuals. The
questionnaire requested information on each organization’s current monitoring program(s),including a description, general geographic location, the availability of ArcGIS shapefiles
depicting study areas/sites, parameters measured, CCMP Vital Signs and indicators addressed,
existence of QA/QC, and willingness to share the data. Responders had the option of providing
images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus organism, logo) that could be included with23

the program description. Follow-ups on the questionnaire were made by co-author David
Heuberger; final questionnaire responses are in Appendix 2. Additional questionnaires received
from other research projects are included in Appendix 3.
Before drafting the Monitoring Plan, the Steering Committee hosted a half-day virtual meeting on
November 19, 2020, to share with key members of the IRL research and management community
an initial synthesis of IRL monitoring and develop recommendations on how to advance thoseefforts. Many of the invitees had previously responded to the fact-finding questionnaires describedabove. We limited participation to ~50 people to optimize active participation in the workshop. A
list of the 47 attendees is provided in Appendix 4. In advance of the workshop, participantsreceived the agenda and information on the developing Monitoring Plan; this material is in
Appendix 5.
To maximize active participation, interactive surveys were incorporated directly into theworkshop. Surveys were presented at the end of each of three presentations which reviewed
ongoing monitoring for the Water Quality, Healthy Habitats, and Living Resources Vital Signs
categories (see Appendix 6 for the survey questions). Results from each of the surveys arepresented in Appendix 7. Individual participants also were given the option to provide comments
after each survey question. Individual comments for each survey question are organized by how
the question was answered, and they are presented in Appendix 7.1. Additionally, workshop
organizers monitored a concurrent chatroom where participants could ask questions and makecomments. A chat room “transcript” is presented in Appendix 7.2. Inputs from these surveys wereused in the later sections of this report, especially in regard to identifying gaps in current IRL
monitoring and in making the priority recommendations.
6.0 The One Lagoon Monitoring Plan
6.1 Overview of the Monitoring Plan
With review by the Steering Committee, and as presented at the One Lagoon Workshop,
monitoring projects that met the criteria for inclusion in the One Lagoon Monitoring Network(Section 4.0) were aligned by Vital Signs in the IRLNEP CCMP (Section 3.2). A total of 66
monitoring projects being conducted by 24 organizations were identified as current contributors
to the One Lagoon Monitoring Network (Fig. 4). Those organizations are quite diverse, including
six federal agencies, six state agencies, three counties, four universities, and seven NGOs. The
projects are organized by the Vital Signs categories: Water Quality (Table 2), Healthy Habitats(Table 3), and Living Resources (Table 4). Within each table, the monitoring projects and theirrespective organizations are listed by the principal vital sign(s) addressed for each project, alongwith the water bodies (per p. 4 and Fig. 1) addressed by each project. Figure 5 is a map of the One
Lagoon Monitoring Network showing the locations of all fixed monitoring stations; this map does
not include all monitoring projects as many of them do not employ fixed monitoring. Maps ofthese stations are also provided for the major sections of the IRL: the Halifax River and Mosquito
Lagoon (Fig. 6), Banana River and the Northern IRL (Fig. 7), the Central IRL (Fig. 8), and theSouthern IRL (Fig. 9).

24

Figure 4. Summary of the organizations currently contributing to the One Lagoon
Monitoring Network. Bar graphs illustrate numbers of monitoring projects andorganizations addressing the three categories of IRLNEP Vital Signs participation, andthe distribution of organizations by type.

25

Impaired Waters &Stormwater

Central IRL

Southern IRL

Northern IRL

Banana River

Mosquito Lagoon

Principal Vital Sign

Halifax River

Table 2. The One Lagoon Monitoring Network with Associated Waterbodies for the One Lagoon: Water Quality Category.

X

X

Monitoring Projects

Organizations

Indian River Lagoon Observatory Networkof Environmental Sensors

Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch
Oceanographic Institute

Shellfish Environmental Assessment
Fecal Coliform Sampling

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services

Surface Water Trend Monitoring Network

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Continuous Bottom Water Dissolved
Oxygen Monitoring Network

Florida Institute of Technology

FOS Citizen Science Water Quality
Monitoring

Florida Oceanographic Society

X

Project RiverKeeper

Loxahatchee River District

X

LagoonWatch

Marine Resources Council

Continuous Water Quality Monitoring

National Parks Service Southeast Coast Inventory
and Monitoring Network

X

Discrete Water Quality Monitoring

National Parks Service Southeast Coast Inventory
and Monitoring Network

X

Kilroy Water Quality Monitoring

Ocean Research & Conservation Association

26

X

X

X

X

X

X
X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Southern IRL

Central IRL

Northern IRL

Banana River

Mosquito Lagoon

Halifax River

Principal Vital Sign

Monitoring Projects

Organizations

Continuous Water Quality Sampling

Smithsonian Marine Station

X

Surface Water Quality Monitoring for the
IRL and St. Lucie Estuary

South Florida Water Management District

X

Indian River Lagoon Continuous Water
Quality Monitoring

St. Johns River Water Management District

Indian River Lagoon Water Quality
Monitoring Network

St. Johns River Water Management District

National Cooperative Water Program

U.S. Geological Survey

Volusia County Environmental
Management Program

Volusia County

Wastewater

Groundwater Wastewater Monitoring andModeling

Brevard County

Hydrology andHydrodynamics

USGS Cooperative Water Program

U.S. Geological Survey, South Florida Water
Management District & St. Johns River Water
Management District

Atmospheric Deposition

Atmospheric Deposition Sampling

St. Johns River Water Management District &Indian River Lagoon National Estuarine Program

Impaired Waters &Stormwater (continued)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X
X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X
X

7

27

X

X

Healthy Sediments &Contaminants ofEmerging Concern

National Parks Service Southeast Coast Inventory
and Monitoring Network

Mussel Watch Program

NOAA-National Centers for Coastal Ocean
ScienceNational Coastal Condition Assessment
Program

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency & Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

28

X

X

Southern IRL

Estuarine Sediment Monitoring

Central IRL

Florida Institute of Technology

Northern IRL

IRL Muck Sampling

Banana River

Organizations

Mosquito Lagoon

Monitoring Projects

Halifax River

Principal Vital Sign

X
X
X

X

X

X

X

Filter Feeders

Southern IRL

XNorthern IRL

Banana River

X

Central IRL

Seagrasses

Mosquito Lagoon

Principal Vital Sign

Halifax River

Table 3. The One Lagoon Monitoring Network with Associated Waterbodies for the One Lagoon: Healthy Habitats Category.

X

X

Monitoring Projects

Organizations

Long Term Monitoring of Submerged Aquatic
Vegetation in the Waters Surrounding
Kennedy Space Center

NASA-Kennedy Space Center

MarineGEO Seagrass Habitat Monitoring

Smithsonian Marine Station

CERP RECOVER Northern Estuaries SAV
Ecosystem Assessment

South Florida Water Management District

Seagrass Mapping and Fixed Transect
Monitoring

South Florida Water Management District & St. Johns
River Water Management District

Oyster Integrated Mapping and Monitoring
ProgramFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Oyster Monitoring in the Northern Estuaries
on the Southeast and Southwest Coasts ofFloridaFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

X

Oyster Spat Monitoring in the St. Lucie
Estuary

Florida Oceanographic Society

X

MarineGEO Oyster Reef Monitoring

Smithsonian Marine Station & Florida Department ofEnvironmental Protection-IRL Aquatic Preserves
Program

29

X
X
X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Wetlands andImpounded and Altered
MarshesSouth Florida Water Management District

Land Use/Land Cover Mapping

St. Johns River Water Management District & South
Florida Water Management District

Wetland Surface Elevation Monitoring

National Parks Service Southeast Coast Inventory
and Monitoring Network

X

Wetland Surface Elevation Monitoring

St. Johns River Water Management District

X

30

Southern IRL

Land Use/Land Cover Mapping

Central IRL

Organizations

Northern IRL

Monitoring Projects

Banana River

Mosquito Lagoon

Halifax River

Principal Vital Sign

X
X

X

X

X

X

X

Biodiversity

Benthic Infaunal Monitoring in the Southern
IRL and the St. Lucie Estuary

Smithsonian Marine Station

MarineGEO Fouling Community Monitoring

Smithsonian Marine Station

Indian River Lagoon Diamondback Terrapin
Sighting Reporting Program
FAU HBOI Stranding and Population
Assessment Program

Species of Concern

Brevard Zoo, Florida Department ofEnvironmental Protection, and Florida Fish andWildlife Conservation Commission
Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch
Oceanographic InstituteSouthern IRL

Smithsonian Marine Station

Central IRL

Indian River Lagoon Biodiversity and the IRL
Species Inventory Update

Northern IRL

Organizations

Banana River

Monitoring Projects

Mosquito Lagoon

Principal Vital Sign

Halifax River

Table 4. The One Lagoon Monitoring Network with Associated Waterbodies for the One Lagoon: Living Resources Category.

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X
X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Manatee Project at HBOI

Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch
Oceanographic InstituteSpoil Island Rookery Monitoring

Florida Department of Environmental ProtectionIRL Aquatic Preserves Program

Florida Manatee Statewide Abundance
Monitoring Program

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission

X

X

X

X

X

X

Florida Manatee Regional Distribution and
Abundance Monitoring Program

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission

X

X

X

X

X

X

Manatee Warm-Water Habitat Temperature
Monitoring Program

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission

X

X

X

X

31

X
X

X

Species of Concern(continued)

Mosquito Lagoon

Banana River

Northern IRL

Central IRL

Southern IRL

Halifax River

Principal Vital Sign

X

X

X

X

X

Monitoring Projects

Organizations

Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission

Florida Shorebird Alliance

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission

X

X

Marine Mammal Research

Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute

X

X

Otter Spotter Program

Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute

X

X

Wading Bird Rookery Monitoring

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission & Martin County

Monitoring Distribution and Abundance ofManatees in Kennedy Space Center Waters

NASA-Kennedy Space Center

X

X

X

Wading Bird Foraging Habitat and Nesting
Success Monitoring Program

NASA-Kennedy Space Center

X

X

X

IRL Long-Term In-Water Marine Turtle
Monitoring Program
Health Effects and Behavioral Response of
Florida Manatees (Trichechus manatus
latirostris) to Persistent Algal Bloom and
Associated Loss of Seagrass Resources in
Brevard County, Florida

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

University of Central Florida

U.S. Geological Survey

32

X

X

X

X

X

Harmful Algal Blooms(HABs)

Northern IRL

Central IRL

Southern IRL

Mosquito Lagoon

Banana River

Fisheries

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Halifax River

Principal Vital Sign

Monitoring Projects

Organizations

IRL Elasmobranch Abundance andMovement Ecology

Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch
Oceanographic Institute

FACT Network

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission

Fish and Wildlife Health (Fish Kill Hotline)

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission

Fisheries Dependent Monitoring

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission

Fisheries Independent Monitoring

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission

IRL Microalgae and Harmful Algal Bloom
Monitoring-South

Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch
Oceanographic Institute & Indian River Lagoon
National Estuarine Program

FWC Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring
ProgramFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission

Phytoplankton Monitoring Network

NOAA-National Centers for Coastal Ocean
ScienceX

C-44 and St. Lucie Estuary Phytoplankton
Monitoring

South Florida Water Management District

X

Indian River Lagoon Phytoplankton Bloom
Sampling

St. Johns River Water Management District

X

X

X

X

Estimating Chlorophyll-a Concentrations from
Freely Available Remotely Sensed Imagery

St. Johns River Water Management District

X

X

X

X

IRL Microalgae and Harmful Algal Bloom
Monitoring-North

University of Florida & Indian River Lagoon
National Estuarine Program

X

X

X

X

33

X

X

X

X

Figure 5. Map of the One Lagoon Monitoring Network showing the locations of all
fixed monitoring stations.

34

Figure 6. Map of the current One Lagoon Monitoring Network showing the locationsof all fixed monitoring stations in the Halifax River and Mosquito Lagoon.
35

Figure 7. Map of the current One Lagoon Monitoring Network showing the locationsof all fixed monitoring stations in Banana River and the Northern Indian River
Lagoon.
36

Figure 8. Map of the current One Lagoon Monitoring Network showing the locationsof all fixed monitoring stations in the Central Indian River Lagoon.
37

Figure 9. Map of the current One Lagoon Monitoring Network showing the locationsof all fixed monitoring stations in the Southern Indian River Lagoon.

38

6.2 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Water Quality
The Water Quality category in IRL Vital Signs wheel (Fig. 2) has seven Vital Signs, all of which
are explicitly addressed by the One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Stormwater; Impaired Waters;
Wastewater; Hydrology and Hydrodynamics; Atmospheric Deposition; Legacy Loads and Healthy
Sediments (in this report, simply called Healthy Sediments); and Contaminants of Emerging
Concern. Throughout this report, we have coupled Stormwater and Impaired Waters together.
There are 23 projects (Table 2), of which:•

16 predominantly address Stormwater/Impaired Waters;•

One predominantly addresses Wastewater;•

One predominantly addresses Hydrology and Hydrodynamics;•

One predominantly addresses Atmospheric Deposition; and•Four focus on Healthy Sediments, one of which also addresses Contaminants of Emerging
Concern.

Collectively, these projects measure a number of water quality parameters, which, following thepresentation of the individual projects, will be summarized at the end of this section in Tables 5
and 6.
6.2.1 Impaired Waters & Stormwater
The dominant focus for water quality monitoring is related to the Impaired Waters and Stormwater
Vital Signs. Sixteen monitoring projects were identified for inclusion in the One Lagoon
Monitoring Network. Collectively these projects have sampled at 611 stations. Of the 611 stations,
576 stations provide discrete data (most projects shown in Figs. 10-12), typically at monthly
intervals (but intervals range from weekly to longer than monthly) and 35 stations (Figs. 13, 14)
sample continuously (typically hourly).
Discrete Water Quality Monitoring
The Indian River Lagoon Water Quality Monitoring Network (IRL-WQMN; pp. A232-A239
in Appendix 2) is a major effort led by SJRWMD. The IRL-WQMN is a partnership that currently
involves Volusia, Brevard, and Indian River Counties. In 1996, redundant stations were
eliminated, sampling methods were standardized further, analyses were centralized under a single
laboratory, and SJRWMD expanded its role in collecting data. Currently, the network consists of
32 open-water (lagoon) stations and 17 tributary stations for a total of 49 stations in Mosquito
Lagoon, the Indian River Lagoon, and Banana River (Figs. 10-12, 15). Field measurements for
IRL-WQMN include water depth, depth of collection, Secchi depth, weather code, attenuation ofphotosynthetically active radiation (PAR) reported as calculated Kd (the diffuse attenuation
coefficient), and multi-meter (sonde) measurements of water temperature, salinity/conductivity,
pH, concentration and percent saturation of dissolved oxygen, and concentration of chlorophyll-a
via fluorescence. Until late 2019, percent cloud cover, wind speed, wind direction, and airtemperature also were recorded.
39

Figure 10. Discrete water quality monitoring stations in the Halifax River and Mosquito
Lagoon.

40

Figure 11. Discrete water quality monitoring stations in Banana River and theNorthern Indian River Lagoon.
41

Figure 12. Discrete water quality monitoring stations in the Central and Southern
Indian River Lagoon.

42

Figure 13. Continuous water quality monitoring stations in the Mosquito Lagoon,
Banana River, and Northern Indian River Lagoon.

43

Figure 14. Continuous water quality monitoring stations in the Central and Southern
Indian River Lagoon.

44

Figure 15. Map of current stations in the IRL Water Quality Monitoring
Network (Image credit: SJRWMD).
45

Since October 2011, samples are analyzed by the SJRWMD’s laboratory, except when instrument
failures or other emergencies require that samples are analyzed by a contract laboratory to meet
relevant holding times. Laboratory analytes include alkalinity; conductivity; turbidity; true color;
total suspended solids; volatile suspended solids; concentrations of dissolved nitrate/nitrite,ammonium, orthophosphate, and silicate; and concentrations of total and dissolved fractions oforganic carbon; total Kjeldahl nitrogen, phosphorus, and silicon; concentrations of chlorophyll-a,chlorophyll-b, chlorophyll-c, pheophytin, and chlorophyll-a corrected for pheophytin; hardness(calculated); and concentrations of total and dissolved major and minor metals. Data are available
at http://webapub.sjrwmd.com/agws10/edqt/, via the FDEP’s Watershed Information Network(WIN, https://floridadep.gov/dear/watershed-services-program/content/winstoret), or by request.
Volusia County Environmental Management Program conducts several water quality projects.
Its Halifax River Project (pp. A289-A305 in Appendix 2) started in 1991 and includes monitoring
20 stations from the Flagler/Volusia County line south to Ponce de Leon Inlet (Fig. 10). Initially
stations were sampled on a monthly basis, but sampling decreased to quarterly in 2000. Fifteen
stations are currently sampled every two months. Volusia County’s Mosquito Lagoon Project (pp.
A295-A300 in Appendix 2) started in 1988 at 20 stations (Fig. 10). Initially stations were sampled
on a monthly basis, but sampling decreased to quarterly in 2000. Five stations currently aresampled every two months. Volusia County’s Mosquito Lagoon Stormwater Monitoring Project(pp. A301-A305 in Appendix 2) has monitored two major drainage canals that drain to Mosquito
Lagoon (Fig. 10) every two months since 2017. Field monitoring includes the use of a YSI sonde
and grab sampling techniques following DEP and SJRWMD protocols. Water velocity is measured
at the two drainage canal monitoring sites. Samples are processed by the SJRWMD laboratory in
Palatka. Following QA/QC, the data are available upon request and in the state’s WIN/STORET
data portal (https://prodenv.dep.state.fl.us/DearSpa/public/welcome).
SFWMD conducts Surface Water Quality Monitoring for the IRL and St. Lucie Estuary (pp.
A213-A216 in Appendix 2) at 23 sites in the southern IRL and SLE (Fig. 12). Sampling is
conducted seven times a year in the IRL and monthly in the SLE and consists of discrete grab
samples. Field measurements include: depth of collection, Secchi depth, PAR (in water), watertemperature, conductivity, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and oxygen saturation. Laboratory
analytes include: conductivity, turbidity, true color, total suspended solids, volatile suspended
solids, nitrate-nitrite, ammonium, orthophosphate, total organic carbon, Kjeldahl nitrogen, total
nitrogen, total phosphorous, chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, and chlorophyll-c. Following QA/QC,
all data are publicly available at https://my.sfwmd.gov/dbhydroplsql/show_dbkey_info.main_menu.
FDEP’s Surface Water Trend Network (see: https://floridadep.gov/dear/watershed-monitoringsection/content/trend-network; no questionnaire was received) examines long-term changes in
Florida’s ambient water quality. Most of the sites are located at or near a flow gauging station.
These sites allow the department to obtain chemistry, discharge, and loading data at a point thatreflects the watershed’s water quality. Trend sites are sampled each month and are analyzed in thedepartment’s laboratory. The Trend Network has five fixed stations within the IRL watershed (Figs
10, 12). Field measurements include: water depth, depth of collection, Secchi depth, watertemperature, conductivity, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, oxygen saturation, chlorophyll-a,turbidity, a stream condition index based on the biological community, habitat assessment, rapid
46

periphyton survey, and linear vegetation survey. Laboratory analytes include: alkalinity,
conductivity, turbidity, true color, total suspended solids, nitrate-nitrite, ammonium,orthophosphate, total dissolved solids, total organic carbon, Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus,
hardness, total dissolved metals, total coliform, fecal coliform, enterococci, E. coli, chloride,sulfate, fluoride, calcium, potassium, sodium, and major and minor metals. Data are available atthe WIN/STORET data portal (https://prodenv.dep.state.fl.us/DearSpa/public/welcome).
The National Parks Service’s Southeast Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network (pp. A152A156 in Appendix 2) has monitored estuarine water quality in Canaveral National Seashore since2005, employing a multiscale approach to assess the Seashore’s estuarine water resources. Data
collected as part of this effort are intended to help resource managers: 1) better understandecological processes and impacts caused by development, 2) make informed management
decisions, and 3) form/maintain strategic partnerships to improve water-quality. As part of thatmultiscale approach, the spatial variability of water quality is assessed at 30 sites surrounding
Canaveral National Seashore (Fig. 16). These assessments include discrete sampling of core water
quality parameters (dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, temperature, and turbidity), nutrients(dissolved inorganic nitrogen and dissolved inorganic phosphorus), chlorophyll-a, and water
clarity. Temporal variability in core water quality parameters is monitored continuously at a single
fixed station (Fig. 13) for the core water quality parameters. These data are available upon request.
The Loxahatchee River District (LRD) created Project RiverKeeper (no questionnaire wasreceived) in 1973 to focus on water quality monitoring within the Loxahatchee River watershed.
Currently, the LRD conducts water quality monitoring at 33 sites throughout the watershed. The
One Lagoon Monitoring Network includes two of these sites, both located within the IRL proper.
These are Site 10, located inside the Jupiter Inlet, and Site 20, located at the intersection of CR
707 and the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW; Fig. 12). Site 10 is sampled monthly, while Site 20 issampled quarterly. Field measurements include: depth, tide stage, Secchi depth, water temperature,
conductivity, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and oxygen saturation. Laboratory analytes include:
alkalinity, true color, total suspended solids, turbidity, nitrate and nitrite, ammonium,orthophosphate, total organic carbon, Kjeldahl nitrogen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus,
chlorophyll-a (corrected and uncorrected), enterococci, and fecal coliform. Samples are processedin house by the LRD’s certified Wild Pine Laboratory. Following QA/QC, data are made available
via the RiverKeeper database at https://loxahatcheeriver.org/river/river-keeper/.
The Shellfish Environmental Assessment Section of the Florida Department of Agriculture andConsumer Services (FDACS) routinely monitors shellfish harvesting areas for the presence of
fecal coliform bacteria. Because they are found in the feces of all warm-blooded animals, including
humans, fecal coliform bacteria are commonly used as an indicator of possible fecal
contamination. Most of these bacteria do not make people sick; however, their presence may
indicate that other, more dangerous pathogens also are present. There are 343 monitoring stationsin the IRL (Fig. 17). Active harvesting areas are sampled monthly, otherwise sites are sampled
quarterly. Field measurements include: water temperature, conductivity, salinity, dissolved
oxygen, and oxygen saturation. Laboratory analytes are counts of fecal coliforms. No
questionnaire was received on this project, but for additional information and a daily update on47

shellfish closures, see: https://www.fdacs.gov/Agriculture-Industry/Aquaculture/Shellfish-HarvestingArea-Classification. Data are available on request.
Two quality-assured citizen science programs that provide data on water quality to users whorequest it through their websites are included in the One Lagoon Monitoring Network:•

Established in 1989, the Marine Resources Council’s LagoonWatch (pp. A131-A136 inAppendix 2) is a quality-assured citizen science program that collects weekly water quality
data at 53 sites throughout the lagoon (Figs. 18, 19). Parameters measured include: water
depth, Secchi depth, water temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and generalweather conditions. All measurements and observations are recorded in an online data
management system that facilitates sharing of the data both internally and with otherorganizations as needed to support restoration and/or remediation efforts lagoon-wide.
Data are available at: https://savetheirl.org/science/lagoonwatch/.

•

Established in 1998, the Florida Oceanographic Society’s FOS Citizen Science Water
Quality Monitoring Program (pp. A111-A115 in Appendix 2) assesses the trends andchanges in water quality throughout the SLE and the southern IRL. Volunteer citizen
scientists monitor water quality weekly at 32 sites (Fig. 19), measuring water temperature,salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and Secchi depth. The program’s primary goal is to provide
long-term data that covers both seasonal and temporal trends in the local estuaries,
including the assessment of impacts on water quality by freshwater discharges andstormwater runoff. Weekly data reports are available at: https://www.floridaocean.org/documents.

48

Figure 16. Discrete water quality and sediment monitoring stations of the Southeast
Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network in Canaveral National Seashore.

49

Figure 17. Discrete water quality monitoring stations of FDACS’ Shellfish
Environmental Assessment Section in the Indian River Lagoon.

50

Figure 18. Discrete water quality monitoring stations of MRC’s LagoonWatch in theMosquito Lagoon, Banana River, and Northern Indian River Lagoon.

51

Figure 19. Discrete water quality monitoring stations of MRC’s LagoonWatch and the
FOS Citizen Science Water Quality Monitoring Program in the Central and Southern
Indian River Lagoon.
52

Continuous Water Quality Monitoring
There are several continuous water quality monitoring
efforts ongoing in the IRL. Most of these efforts were
begun relatively recently. The Indian River Lagoon
Observatory Network of Environmental Sensors(IRLON) is based at FAU Harbor Branch (pp. A24-A28
in Appendix 2). IRLON was launched with a single
station in 2013 and expanded to 10 stations in thesouthern central IRL and St. Lucie estuary in 2014-2016(Figs. 13, 14, 20). Three additional stations came online
in Brevard County in January 2022. Continuous, hourly
measurements are made for physical parameters: watertemperature, conductivity, depth, turbidity, and current
speed and direction; chemical parameters: chromophoric
dissolved organic matter (water color), nitrate,orthophosphate, dissolved oxygen, pH, and pCO2; andbiological parameters: chlorophyll-a fluorescence andphycocyanin and phycoerythrin fluorescence (indicatorsof cyanobacteria). Data are QAed/QCed including realtime application of QARTOD [Quality Assurance of RealTime Ocean Data as developed by the Integrated Ocean
Observing System (IOOS) flags]. All data are available at Figure 20. FAU Harbor Branch IRLON
the IRLON data portal (www.irlon.org) and the continuous monitoring at the IRL-FP(SECOORA Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional station.
Association) data portal (https://portal.secoora.org/).
The Indian River Lagoon Continuous Water Quality
Monitoring Program (pp. A226-A232 in Appendix 2),
launched in 2014 by SJRWMD, monitors hourly with YSI
EXO 2s for temperature, conductivity, salinity, pH,dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-a, turbidity, and fluorescentdissolved organic matter at six stations (Figs. 13, 14,21) in all areas of the IRL, except the Southern IRL.
Data are QAed/QCed, and corrections for fouling/
drift are applied, as needed, with measurements madeduring maintenance visits and calculations appliedfollowing guidelines from the U.S. Geological Survey(USGS; https://pubs.usgs.gov/tm/2006/tm1D3/). Qualifiers
are applied to identify any corrections made or othermeasures of data quality; grades reflect accuracy ofthe data as recommended by the USGS (Table 18 in
https://pubs.usgs.gov/tm/2006/tm1D3/pdf/TM1D3.pdf).
The data are publicly available on the SJRWMD website(http://webapub.sjrwmd.com/agws10/hdswq/).
53

Figure 21. Continuous monitoring
platform in southern Mosquito Lagoon at
Station IRLML02, part of the SJRWMD’s
IRL Continuous Water Quality Monitoring
Program. Image credit: SJRWMD.

The Kilroy Water Quality Monitoring Program (pp. A174-A178 in Appendix 2) is operated by
the Ocean Research & Conservation Association, Inc. (ORCA). The Kilroys monitor the speed
and direction that water flows, water temperature, water depth, salinity, turbidity, pH, dissolved
oxygen, chlorophyll-a, phycoerythrin, fluorescent dissolved organic matter, oxygen reduction
potential, and nutrients (nitrate plus nitrite and phosphate). Monitoring is currently occurring at 18
stations throughout the lagoon (Figs. 13, 14) continuously in ~30‐min increments, except nutrients
which are done in 4-h increments. Data from the previous 30 days can be viewed on the Kilroy
data portal (http://api.kilroydata.org/public/) or requested from ORCA.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), as part of its National Cooperative Water
Program (pp. A275-A279 in Appendix 2), maintains a network of continuous monitoring stations
on tributaries to the IRL, primarily to measure water level and discharge (presented under theHydrology and Hydrodynamics Vital Sign). Currently there are three stations in the Southern IRL(Fig. 14) with additional water quality data (water temperature, conductivity, and salinity) being
collected every 15 minutes; one of these stations (Site 2276998), near the C-44 outfall, beginningin 2017, also monitors pH, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, phycocyanin, turbidity, and fluorescentdissolved organic matter. Parameters are field verified every two months or sometimes more
frequently. If necessary, corrections are applied. Data are available through the USGS website(https://maps.waterdata.usgs.gov/mapper/index.html).
The Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) initiated the Continuous Bottom Water Dissolved
Oxygen Monitoring Network in 2019 (pp. A106-A110 in Appendix 2). Dissolved oxygen andwater temperature are monitored hourly with Hobo U26 dataloggers in benthic housings locatedon the lagoon floor. Laboratory calibration is completed before and after each deployment. FIT is
growing this network and taking on partners to help expand data collection. Currently there areseven monitoring stations in the Northern IRL and the Banana River Lagoon (Fig. 13). Most data
are available on request.
In addition to the discrete water quality monitoring previously described, the National Parks
Service’s Southeast Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network (pp. A152-A156 in Appendix
2) also continuously monitors at one fixed station (Fig. 13) with data loggers for evaluation of
temporal patterns in core water-quality parameters (dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, temperature,and turbidity). These data are available upon request.
The Smithsonian Marine Station conducts Continuous Water Quality Sampling (pp. A189A195 in Appendix 2) at one monitoring station in the Southern IRL (Fig. 14). Since 2017, SMS
has maintained a YSI EXO sonde deployed behind the SMS facility near the Fort Pierce Inlet. The
parameters (water temperature, conductivity, salinity, pH, chlorophyll, and turbidity) are measured
every five minutes. These data are available upon request.

54

6.2.2 Wastewater
Since 2017, Brevard County has contracted sequentially with FIT,
then MRC and Applied Ecology, Inc. (AEI), and currently with
AEI to conduct Groundwater Wastewater Monitoring (pp.
A11-A15 in Appendix 2) at 45 monitoring wells (Fig. 22) in thenorthern and central IRL. Groundwater monitoring is conducted
to inform and refine pollution load models, prioritize areas wherewastewater is polluting the lagoon, and evaluate septic tank andwastewater treatment plant retrofits. The monitoring wells are
sampled in compliance with FDEP-SOP-001/01; FS2200
Groundwater Sampling. Monthly field measurements include:
depth to water, water temperature, conductivity, pH, dissolved
oxygen, and turbidity. Laboratory analytes include: ammonia,
total Kjeldahl nitrogen, nitrate/nitrite, total phosphorus,
orthophosphate, fecal coliform, and δ15N and δ18O isotopic
concentrations. Most data can be provided on request after
publication, but site locations are sensitive and protected (andhence, no map is provided here).
Figure 22. A Groundwater

Wastewater Monitoring site.
Image credit: MRC.

6.2.3 Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

Hydrological data are used for permitting consumptive use, managing water shortages,
establishing minimum flows and levels, planning and managing water supply, managing
environmental protection and restoration projects, and operation of flood control facilities. As partof the National Cooperative Water Program (pp. A275-A279 in Appendix 2), the USGS, incooperation with the SFWMD and SJRWMD, maintains a network of 14 near real-time continuous
monitoring hydrologic stations primarily on tributaries (Fig. 23), with frequencies varying from15 minutes to hourly. The data collected include water level and, in most cases, discharge. The
period of record varies by site but these data have been provided intermittently for 28-72 years.
These data are available online through https://maps.waterdata.usgs.gov/mapper/index.html.

55

Figure 23. IRL hydrological monitoring stations in the National Cooperative Water
Program.

56

6.2.4 Atmospheric Deposition
Atmospheric deposition is a source ofnutrients, pollutants, and fine sedimentsfrom power plants, cars, and land uses
and is increasingly being recognized as
negatively impacting water quality inaquatic ecosystems, such as the IRL. An
understanding of status and trends fornutrient
loads
fromatmosphericdeposition is an important contribution to
nutrient budgets, total maximum dailyloads (TMDLs), and water quality.
Atmospheric Deposition Monitoring(pp. A258-A264 in Appendix 2) is currently
conducted as part of the IRL Clean Air
Status and Trend Network (CASTNET,
which is managed and operated by the EPA) Figure 24. Ground view (from the south side) of theat a single hybrid wet/dry deposition station wet/dry deposition site (IRL141). Image credit: Charles
Vogt, Florida Department of Health at Indian Rivernear Sebastian Inlet (IRL141; Figs. 24-25). County.
Data collection began in 2001, althoughsome temporal data gaps exist due to interruptions in funding. Dry deposition operations continue
to be under the national CASTNET program with Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions,
Inc. (Wood) as EPA's vendor, maintaining the collection equipment and related meteorologicalinstrumentation and conducting the analyses of dry deposition samples. Indian River County
Health Department is the subcontractor responsible for collecting wet and dry deposition samples.
SJRMWD provides support for wet deposition field instrumentation (including two rain gauges,
an NADP Type N-CON wet deposition collector and related data telemetry system), grounds
maintenance, laboratory analyses of wet deposition samples, and QA/QC for wet deposition data;
IRLNEP funds and manages the wet deposition sample collection contract with Wood as well as
the phosphate-related components of monitoring dry deposition. Procedures for wet deposition closely
follow those of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP; http://nadp.slh.wisc.edu/ntn/).
Weekly wet deposition samples (when rainfall is sufficient) are analyzed for dissolved nitrogenand phosphorus species, alkalinity, specific conductivity, chloride, sulfate, pH, and total major andminor metals. For dry deposition, in addition to collecting continuous meteorologicalmeasurements, Wood measures airflow through filter pack systems, conducts weekly analyses ofgaseous and particulate nitrogen species in the lab and, specifically for the IRL, conducts weekly
analyses of dry deposition of phosphate from high flow-rate (20 L of air per minute), single-stage
filters. Annually, SJRWMD sends Wood the validated wet deposition data, and Wood reports theweekly, monthly, and annual estimates of nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) loading from wet,
dry and bulk (wet + dry) atmospheric deposition directly onto the lagoon. These estimated loads
were considered when formulating TMDLs. These data are available upon request.

57

Figure 25. The EPA CASTNET Atmospheric Deposition Monitoring station (IRL141) in
the Indian River Lagoon.
58

6.2.5 Healthy Sediments & Contaminants of Emerging Concern
There are four monitoring efforts examining sediments in the IRL that focus predominantly on
contaminants of emerging concern (thus, overlapping two Vital Signs, Healthy Sediments &Contaminants of Emerging Concern; Table 2). IRL Muck Sampling (pp. A106-A110 inAppendix 2) has been conducted since 2014 by Florida Institute of Technology in the north andcentral IRL. Muck deposits are mapped by location, thickness, and surface sediment composition.
As new locations are investigated, data are added to a growing lagoon-wide dataset. No map ofsites is provided, as there is not a plan for recurring visits to sites, but updated IRL muck maps andmost data are available upon request.
The Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission (FWC) samples five random sites in the IRL every five years, as part of EPA’s
National Coastal Condition Assessment (NCCA; pp. A264-A267 in Appendix 2; no map isprovided as the sites are random). This assessment is a statistical survey of the condition of marine
and Great Lakes coasts in the U.S. NCCA evaluates four indices of condition – water quality,
sediment quality, benthic community condition, and fish tissue contaminants – to evaluate theecological condition and recreational potential of coastal waters. Consistent sampling andanalytical procedures ensure that the results can be compared across the country and over time.
Sites are selected at random to represent the condition of all coastal waters across each region andthe nation as a whole. In the IRL, this effort samples surface sediments, surface water, and fish;
the samples are sent to EPA contract laboratories for chemical analyses. Sediment analyses include
particle size, organic content, sediment chemistry, sediment toxicity, and sediment contaminants(pesticides, PAHs, and heavy metals). Chemical analyses include dissolved and particulate
nutrients, chlorophyll-a, microcystins, enterococci levels, and total alkalinity for water samples.
While on site, physical data, including salinity, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, lightattenuation, and Secchi depths also are recorded. Fish are collected for analysis of contaminantsin their whole bodies and analysis of mercury levels in muscle tissue. The benthic invertebrate
community also is identified. Reports and data are available through FWRI once all analyses and
QA/QC are completed and reviewed by the EPA.
Estuarine Sediment Monitoring (pp. A152-A156 in Appendix 2) is performed in Mosquito
Lagoon (Canaveral National Seashore) by the National Park Service, Inventory and Monitoring
Division’s Southeast Coast Network (SECN). Since 2005, the SECN has employed a multiscale
approach to assess estuarine water resources in the Seashore and capture their spatial and temporalvariability. Every five years, sediment is monitored at 30 stations at the same time and at thesesame stations, spatial variability of water quality is determined (Fig. 16). Sediment samples areanalyzed for total organic carbon, grain size, organic contaminants, and metals. These data are
available upon request.
The Mussel Watch Program (pp. A162-A168 in Appendix 2) is a contaminant monitoring
program led by the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), which is part of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Mussel Watch monitors the status
and trends of chemical contaminants and biological stressors in the nation’s coastal waters. Begun
in 1986, Mussel Watch remains the longest running contaminant-monitoring program of its kind59

in the country. The program utilizes a sentinel-based approach to monitoring, by collecting andanalyzing sediment and bivalves (oysters and mussels) as surrogates for water pollution andbioaccumulation at a network of nearly 300 coastal sites including the Great Lakes, Alaska,
Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. The lone IRL station at the Sebastian River in the Central IRL (Fig. 26)
is sampled every two years. Analyses are conducted by NCCOS and laboratories under contract tothe government. Contaminants monitored include a suite of organic and inorganic chemicals, suchas pesticides (e.g., DDT), antifouling agents (e.g., butyltin), industrial contaminants (e.g., PCB),
oil and fossil fuel-related contaminants (e.g., PAH), and heavy metals (e.g., mercury). More than
250 contaminants of emerging concern are measured to guide investment in long-term or placebased monitoring, including pharmaceuticals and personal care products, flame-retardants,
current-use pesticides, surfactants, and stain-repellants. The bacterium, Clostridium perfringens,is measured in sediment as an indicator of sewage waste. Data are publicly available at the NCCOS
data portal (https://products.coastalscience.noaa.gov/collections/ltmonitoring/nsandt/).
6.2.6 Summary of Water Quality Parameters Measured by the One Lagoon Network
All water quality parameters measured, either in the field or as laboratory analytes, by the One
Lagoon Network are tabulated by the participating projects in Tables 5 and 6. It is apparent that a
number of water quality parameters (e.g., water temperature, conductivity/salinity, pH, dissolved
oxygen, and turbidity) are measured much more commonly than others (e.g., bacterial
contaminants). This table supports the gap analysis later in this report (see Section 7.2).

60

Figure 26. NCCOS’s Mussel Watch Program station in the Indian River Lagoon.

61

Field Measurements
Air Temperature
Attenuation of PAR (Kd)
Barometric Pressure
Chlorophyll
Colored Dissolved Organic Matter
Conductivity
Current Direction
Current Speed
Depth of Collection
Discharge
Dissolved Oxygen
Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter (fDOM)
NitrateOxygen Reduction Potential
Oxygen Saturation
PAR (in air)PAR (in water)
Partial Pressure of Carbon Dioxide (pCO2)
pH
Phosphate
Phycocyanin
Phycoerythrin
Rainfall
Relative Humidity
Salinity
Secchi Depth
Tide Stage
Turbidity
Water Depth
Water TemperatureWind Direction
Wind Gust
Wind Speed

MRC LagoonWatchNPS Discrete Water Quality
Monitoring
SFWMD C-44 and St. Lucie Estuary
Phytoplankton Monitoring
SFWMD Surface Water Quality
Monitoring for the IRL and St. LucieSJRWMD Surface Water Quality
Monitoring for the IRL and St. Lucie
Volusia County Environmental
Management Program
FAU-HBOI Indian River Lagoon
Observatory Network
FIT Continuous Dissolved Oxygen
Monitoring
NPS Continuous Water Quality
Monitoring
ORCA Kilroy Water Quality
Monitoring
SMS IRL Continuous Water Quality
Monitoring
SJRWMD IRL Continuous Water
Quality Monitoring
USGS National Cooperative Water
Program*

MRC & MDC Groundwater/
Wastewater Monitoring

Loxahatchee River District

FDEP Surface Water Trend
Monitoring Network
FDACS Shellfish Environmental
Assessment Fecal Coliform
FOS Citizen Science Water Quality
Monitoring

Table 5. The One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Water quality monitoring projects andassociated field measurements.

Discrete Water Sampling
X
X
X

X

X

X
X

X

X
X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Continuous Water Sampling

X
X

X

X
X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X
X
X
X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X
X
X

X

X

X

X

X

X
X
X

X

X
X
X

X
X

X
X

X

X

X
X
X
X
X

X

X

X

X

X
X

X

X

X
X
X
X
X

X

X

X

X
X
X
X

X
X
X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X
X

X
X

X

X
X
X

X

X

X

X
X

X
X

X
X

X

X
X

X
X
X
X

*Turbidity, fDOM, pH, DO, chlorophyll, phycocyanin at one station only.

62

X
X

X

X

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X
X
X

X

X

X

X

X
X
X
X

X

X
X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X
X
X

Orthophosphate (PO4)
Phaeophytin
Potassium
Silicate (SiO2)
SodiumSulfateTotal Coliform
Total Dissolved Solids
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen
Total Nitrogen
Total Organic Carbon
Total Phosphorus
Total Silicon
Total Suspended Solids
Total/Dissolved Major & Minor Metals
True Color
Turbidity
Volatile Suspended Solids

X
X

X

X

X

X

X

X
X

X
X

X
X
X
X
X

Volusia County Environmental
Management Program

X

X
X

SFWMD C-44 and St. Lucie Estuary
Phytoplankton Monitoring

NPS Discrete Water Quality
MonitoringX

SJRWMD Surface Water Quality
Monitoring for the IRL and St. LucieX

MRC LagoonWatch

MRC & MDC Groundwater/
Wastewater Monitoring

Loxahatchee River District

FOS Citizen Science Water Quality
Monitoring

X
X

X
X
X
X

SFWMD Surface Water Quality
Monitoring for the IRL and St. Lucie

Laboratory Analytes
Alkalinity
Ammonium (NH4)Calcium
Chloride
Chlorophyll-a
Chlorophyll-a corrected for Phaeophytin
Chlorophyll-b
Chlorophyll-c
Conductivity
Dissolved Nitrite (NO2)
Dissolved Organic Carbon
Enterococci
Escherichia coli
Fecal Coliform
Fluoride
Hardness
Nitrate-Nitrite (NOx)

FDACS Shellfish Environmental
Assessment Fecal Coliform

FDEP Surface Water Trend
Monitoring Network

Table 6. The One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Discrete Water quality monitoring projects
and associated laboratory analytes.

X

X
X
X
X

X
X
X
X
X
X
X

X

X
X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X
X
X
X
X
X
X

X
X
X
X

X
X
X
X
X
X

63

X
X

X
X

X

X
X

X
X

X

X
X
X
X

X

X

X
X

X
X
X

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

X
X
X
X
X

6.3 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Healthy Habitats
The Healthy Habitats category in the IRL Vital Signs wheel (Fig. 2) has seven Vital Signs:
Seagrasses, Filter Feeders, Wetlands and Impounded and Altered Marshes, Living Shorelines,
Spoil Islands, Land Conservation, and Connected Waters. There are 12 projects in the One Lagoon
Monitoring Network; four predominantly address Seagrasses, four address Filter Feeders, and four
address Wetlands and Impounded and Altered Marshes (Table 2). Not significantly addressedcurrently are Spoil Islands, Land Conservation, and Connected Waters. Spoil Islands are indirectly
addressed under the Species of Concern Vital Sign in the Living Resources category. In 2022, a
new project was implemented in 2022 as part of the NASA Kennedy Space Center Indian River
Lagoon Health Initiative Plan (NASA Kennedy Space Center 2021): Maintaining Spoil Island
Habitat for Wildlife in the Northern IRL System. This new project is not included in the One
Lagoon Monitoring Network at this time because it is not yet considered to be “ongoing”; its future
funding will be determined annually.

Figure 27. Spatial scales of monitoring, based on Neckles et al. 2012.

The IRL’s diverse habitats contribute significantly to the IRL’s biodiversity; a healthy IRL requires
healthy habitats. The spatial and temporal scales of monitoring these habitats are importantconsiderations. Neckles et al. (2012) present a useful approach for the spatial component (Fig. 27).
The spatial scale of monitoring can range from landscape scale (= very large scale) to ecosystemscale (medium scale) to patch (= population) or organism scale (small scale). The monitoring
program for Healthy Habitats will refer to these three spatial “tiers”. The temporal scale ofmonitoring similarly can range from shorter (less than a year) to much longer periods (years to
decades). The importance of addressing the scale issue was addressed for IRL seagrassmanagement by Virnstein (1999) but can be readily applied to other habitats. Table 7 summarizes
projects by principal Vital Sign in the One Lagoon: Healthy Habitats Category indicating tierlevel, habitat type, and available metrics.
64

Table 7. Summary of projects by principal Vital Sign in the One Lagoon: Healthy Habitats Category indicating tier level, habitat
type, and available metrics.
Principal
Vital Sign

Monitoring Projects

Organizations

Long Term Monitoring of
Submerged Aquatic
Vegetation in the Waters
Surrounding Kennedy
Space Center

NASA-Kennedy
Space Center

MarineGEO Seagrass
Habitat Monitoring

Smithsonian Marine
StationHabitat

Seagrasses

Seagrasses

Tier
Level

Available Metrics

3

Seagrass abundance and composition, identificationand quantification of detritus and non-attached algal
species3
1

Seagrasses

CERP RECOVER
Northern Estuaries SAV
Ecosystem Assessment

Seagrass Mapping and
Fixed Transect Monitoring

South Florida Water
Management District

South Florida Water
Management District& St. Johns River
Water Management
District2
Seagrasses

Seagrasses

65

Seagrass abundance and composition, shootcounts, macroalgae composition, leaf
characteristics, biofouling load, epifaunalabundance, sediment organic carbon
Total seagrass acreage
Seagrass abundance, composition and canopy
height, drift and attached macroalgae cover andabundance

3

Seagrass abundance, composition, and canopy
height, shoot counts, drift and attached macroalgae
cover and abundance1

Total seagrass acreage

2, 3

Seagrass abundance, composition, and canopy
height, shoot count, percent cover of drift
macroalgae and an index characterizing its
biomass, visually estimated epiphyte biomass

Principal
Vital Sign

Filter Feeders

Monitoring Projects

Organizations

Oyster Integrated Mappingand Monitoring Program

Florida Fish andWildlife Conservation
Commission

Oyster Monitoring in the
Northern Estuaries on theSoutheast and Southwest
Coasts of Florida

Florida Fish andWildlife Conservation
Commission

Oyster Spat Monitoring in
the St. Lucie Estuary

MarineGEO Oyster Reef
Monitoring

Land Use/Land Cover
Mapping

Wetlands andImpounded
and Altered
Marshes

Land Use/Land Cover
Mapping

Wetland Surface Elevation
Monitoring
Wetland Surface Elevation
Monitoring

FloridaOceanographic
Society
Smithsonian Marine
Station & Florida
Department ofEnvironmental
Protection-IRL
Aquatic Preserves
ProgramSouth Florida Water
Management District
St. Johns River
Water Management
District & South
Florida Water
Management District
National Parks
Service Southeast
Coast Inventory andMonitoring Network
St. Johns River
Water Management
District

Habitat

Tier
Level

Available Metrics

Oyster Reef

3

Areal extent and health of oyster reefs, locationspecific threats

Oyster Reef

3

Frequency of live or dead oysters, shell height,
juvenile recruitment rates, disease prevalence andintensity, and reproductive development, oyster spat
density, histological determination of reproductive
development stage

Oyster Reef

3

Oyster spat, % cover of barnacles, algae, and tube
worms

Oyster Reef

3

Species composition, bivalve size frequency anddensity, density of barnacles and sepulids

CoastalWetland1

Areal extent of FLUCCS codes 6420 (salt marsh) &6120 (mangrove forest)

CoastalWetland1

Areal extent of FLUCCS codes 6420 (salt marsh) &6120 (mangrove forest)

CoastalWetland3

Surface elevation, accretion/subsidence rate

CoastalWetland3

Surface elevation, accretion/subsidence rate66

6.3.1 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Seagrasses
Seagrasses are submerged flowering plants that have a vital role in the IRL due to their highprimary productivity and their provision of food, habitat, and nursery areas for numerous animals.
The sensitivity of seagrasses to changes in water quality makes their status an important metric of
IRL health. There has been significant monitoring of IRL seagrasses by several agencies that inmost cases follows common protocols established by the SJRWMD (Morris et al. 2001). The mostextensive of these efforts is Seagrass Mapping and Fixed Monitoring Transects, a partnershipof SJRWMD and SFWMD (pp. A248-A256 in Appendix 2).
Tier 1 Scale: Begun in 1986, seagrasses have been mapped every 2–3 years. Mapping has been
based on visual interpretation of aerial photographs, primarily at a 1:24,000 scale but in some cases
at a 1:10,000 scale. Features on the aerial photographs are identified with the aid of stereoscopic
analysis, photo-interpretation keys, and ground truthing. Features are classified according toFlorida Land Use Cover and Forms Classification System (FLUCCS) codes as modified by the
SJRWMD and SFWMD. Features are delineated, and the resulting polygons are connected tocreate a GIS data layer for the areal extent of seagrass. The accuracy of classifications has been
evaluated for each map generated since 1999. In addition, historical photos from 1943 have been
analyzed photogrammetrically to provide an earlier baseline reference point for IRL seagrasses.
Tiers 2 & 3 Scale: Seagrasses in the IRL have been surveyed along fixed transects at a minimumof twice a year (summer and winter) corresponding to times of annual maximum and minimum
abundance. In 1994, 73 sites were established, non-randomly, throughout the IRL with cooperation
between SJRWMD and SFWMD, as well as local and state agencies. As of 2011, that number had
increased to 97 transects (Figs. 28-30). The intent of the fixed transect sampling design is to sample
1) repeatedly at the same location along the same line, 2) quantitatively, 3) non-destructively, and4) rapidly. In the field, each transect is delineated by a graduated line extending perpendicular tothe shoreline from the shore out to the deep edge of the seagrass canopy. At pre-designated points
along the line, standardized, non-destructive measurements are made within a 1-m2 quadrat
divided by strings into 100 cells, each 10 cm by 10 cm. Measurements include:1) species composition documented as the number of cells occupied by at least one shoot ofa species2) canopy height for each species3) percent cover for each species and for all species combined4) seagrass shoot counts in a predetermined set of 10-cm by 10-cm cells as a measure ofdensity that can be used to generate a relationship between density and percent cover5) percent cover of drift macroalgae and an index characterizing its biomass6) a visual estimate of epiphyte biomass7) water depth8) total transect length (measured distance from shore to the deep edge of the seagrass canopy)
Data are QAed/QCed and shared upon request.
67

FigureFigure 28.
25.Permanent
Seagrass seagrass
permanentmonitoring
monitoringtransecttransect
locationslocationsin Mosquito
in the Mosquito
Lagoon,BananaLagoon,River,BananaandRiver,the Northernand Northern
IndianIndianRiver River
Lagoon.
Lagoon.

68

Figure 27. Permanent seagrass monitoring transect locations in the Southern IndianRiver Lagoon.
Figure29. Permanent seagrass monitoring transect locations in the Central IndianRiver Lagoon.
69

Figure 30. Permanent seagrass monitoring transect locations in the Southern IndianRiver Lagoon.

70

The CERP RECOVER Northern Estuaries SAV Ecosystem Assessment (pp. A202-A208 in
Appendix 2) is a component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)
conducted by SFWMD. RECOVER (REstoration COordination & VERification) provides
essential support to the CERP in meeting its goals and purposes. RECOVER seagrass monitoring
began in 2008. The Northern Estuaries SAV Ecosystem Assessment (NESEA program) for
RECOVER adopted protocols for a three-tier system in 2018.
Tier 1 Scale: Aerial photography for total seagrass acreage is conducted in collaboration withSJRWMD every 2 years and covers the entire IRL (see above).
Tier 2 Scale: Twice a year (beginning of the dry and wet seasons) random stratified sampling is
conducted throughout the Southern IRL and SLE using random points within a hexagonal grid(Fig. 31). Sampling is divided among six segments within the Southern IRL, established in the
1990’s. Eight 0.25-m2 quadrats are haphazardly thrown at each point, a total of ~30 points per
segment, and observed for total seagrass cover, cover by seagrass species, drift and attachedmacroalgae using the Braun Blanquet cover and abundance category classes. Average canopy
height of each seagrass species and water quality parameters, Secchi, and light (PAR) are alsomeasured.
Tier 3 Scale: Three 100-m permanent transects, parallel to shore or the channel, are monitored
monthly (two sites in St. Lucie one near Willoughby Creek, one North of the Inlet: Fig. 29), or
every two months (two sites in Fort Pierce, one near Taylor Creek, one North of the Inlet; Fig. 30)
from March to November. Along each transect, at eleven points the same observations per quadrat
are made as above (Fig. 32). In addition, blade density counts for seagrass are recorded. Cores formeasuring above- and below- ground biomass of the seagrass species will also be collected in the
future. At each site, water quality parameters, Secchi, and light (PAR) are also measured.
Data are QAed/QCed and shared upon request.

Figure 31. Examples of Tier 2 monitoring observations in an 0.25-m2 quadrat Segment 26,(left) and Segment 22 (right) May 2020. (Image Credit: SFWMD)

71

Figure 32. Examples of Tier 3 monitoring observations of seagrass at one of the threetransects at the Fort Pierce Inlet site. (Image Credit: SFWMD)

Long-Term Monitoring of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in the Waters Surrounding
Kennedy Space Center (pp. A137-A141 in Appendix 2) is conducted at the Tier 3 Scale by the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Kennedy Space Center (KSC). In 1983,
23 transects were established in KSC waters and were increased to a total of 37 transects by 1986
(Fig. 28). The KSC transects range from 50 to 200 m in length and are confined within existing
beds (i.e., not extending the full length of a bed or out to the deeper edges). Transects were
established with permanent origin and terminal poles with most starting from a landmass while theremaining transects start and end in open mid bed locations. Data are collected annually eachsummer. Percent cover and species composition is determined by a canopy-coverage technique ofvegetation analysis originally developed for terrestrial systems (Daubenmire 1968). This method
employs the use of a rectangular frame with inside dimensions of 20 x 50 cm and appropriately
marked off so that coverage estimates can be quickly made. In addition to measuring all seagrass
species present, detritus and non-attached algal species are identified and quantified. Covariate
data such as water depth, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and temperature are collected. All data are
QAed/QCed and shared upon request.
The Marine Global Earth Observatory (MarineGEO), directed by the Smithsonian’s Tennenbaum
Marine Observatories Network, is the first long-term, worldwide research program to focus onunderstanding coastal marine life and its role in maintaining resilient ecosystems around the world.
MarineGEO Seagrass Habitat Monitoring (pp. A189-A195 in Appendix 2) is conducted by the72Smithsonian Marine Station at the Tier 3 Scale. Annual seagrass monitoring, begun in 2017, isconducted at three sites in the Central and Southern IRL (Figs. 29, 30), each consisting of a 50-m
permanent transect, using standardized MarineGEO protocols. Seagrass composition and density
and shoot counts are estimated with a 0.5 x 0.5 m quadrat. Macroalgae composition is also
estimated along each transect. At each transect, several shoot collections are taken to measure leaf
characteristics and biofouling load. Collections are also taken to sample for epifaunal abundance.
Lastly, sediment samples are taken to estimate sediment organic carbon. Data are available uponrequest.
6.3.2 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Filter Feeders
Filter feeders are an important functional group of organisms in the IRL, as when they feed, they
remove small particles, including bacteria, algae, and other materials from the water, helping to
improve water clarity. While there are many different types of filter feeders, monitoring them in
the IRL has been restricted to mollusks, in particular oysters, which historically were more
extensive and abundant than they are now. Long-term monitoring efforts included in the One
Lagoon Monitoring Network are in the Central and the Southern IRL. Monitoring at the Tier 3
Scale is being done by FWC’s Oyster Integrated Mapping and Monitoring Program (OIMMP;
no questionnaire was received). OIMMP began in 2016 with the objective of building andmaintaining a collaborative network of stakeholders with interest in mapping and monitoring
Florida’s oyster habitats. Three OIMMP workshops were held (2017–2019) to bring together oyster
scientists and resource managers from across Florida. During these workshops, attendees gave
presentations on regional oyster mapping and monitoring activities and made recommendations for
future mapping, monitoring, and management of oyster resources. Workshop participants and
OIMMP partners collaborated to write a statewide technical report published in 2019. This reportprovides summaries of the status of oyster habitat in each region of Florida, mapping andmonitoring programs, location-specific threats, and recommendations for oyster management,
mapping, and monitoring. OIMMP also compiled oyster data from a variety of local mapping
programs to create a statewide map of oyster habitat. Some ground truthing is done. Updating of
the maps is sporadic, most recently updated with 2021 data. A map of Florida’s oyster resources,
including the IRL’s and a summary of oyster extent and health, can be accessed at:https://myfwc.com/research/habitat/coastal-wetlands/projects/oimmp/.
FWC conducts Oyster Monitoring in the Northern Estuaries on the Southeast andSouthwest Coasts of Florida (pp. A96-A100 in Appendix 2), a Tier 3 Scale effort in the SLE(Fig. 33) and the Loxahatchee River Estuary initiated in 2005. Oyster population surveys are
conducted twice per year at 9 stations by randomly deploying 15 replicate 0.25-m2 quadrats oneach sampled reef. All oysters within each quadrat are collected for determination of the total
number of live oysters and the total number of dead oysters with articulated shells. Shell height(SH; maximum linear distance from the umbo to the ventral shell margin) is measured for a
maximum of 10 live oysters per 0.25-m2 quadrat. Monthly measurements include monitoring
juvenile recruitment rates, disease prevalence and intensity, and reproductive development.
Juvenile recruitment is measured by deploying three replicate spat monitoring arrays at eachstation. Each array is comprised of 12 axenic adult oyster shells (5-10 cm SH) with a hole drilledin the center. Two lengths of galvanized wire are strung with 6 shells each, which are then suspended73

Figure 33. Oyster monitoring locations in the Central and Southern Indian River
Lagoon.
74

from the arms of a T-shaped PVC frame. Spat monitoring arrays are deployed for approximately
one month. The retrieved shell strings are returned to the laboratory, where each shell is examined
for numbers of oyster spat with the aid of a magnification lamp or dissecting microscope.
Prevalence and intensity of Perkinsus marinus (dermo) infection is monitored by collecting fiveoysters from each station, returning them to the lab for dissection. The oyster tissues remaining
after the disease dissections are preserved for histological determination of reproductive
development stage according to a classification scheme modified from the work of Fisher andOliver (1996). Monthly water quality sampling is conducted in conjunction with field sampling at
all stations. Monitored parameters include salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration,
pH, depth, and water clarity. Data that has been QAed/QCed and published is shared.
MarineGEO Oyster Reef Monitoring (pp. A189-A195 in Appendix 2), a partnership between
the Smithsonian Marine Station and DEP’s IRL Aquatic Preserves Program, conducts annual Tier
3 Scale monitoring of seven oyster reefs in the Central and the Southern IRL (Fig. 34). At eachsite, species composition is determined with a 1 x 1-m quadrat along three transects. Bivalve size
frequency and density as well as density of barnacles and sepulids is determined with a 0.25 m x
0.25 m- quadrat. At each site, three bio-boxes (0.5 m x 0.5 m) are deployed within the reef, twomonths prior to sampling. All mobile fauna are collected from each biobox and identified/quantified.
In 2020, FOS initiated Oyster Spat Monitoring in
the St. Lucie Estuary (pp. A116-A120 in Appendix2), a Tier 3 Scale effort. Oyster spat settlement ismonitored monthly along a salinity gradient at six
sites in the SLE and the Southern IRL (Figs. 33-34).
Four oyster T’s are deployed at fixed positions at six
sites; three sites are in higher salinity (IRL) and three
are in lower salinity (SLE). Oyster T’s (Fig. 34)
contain two stringers, each consisting of seven pairsof clean, recycled oyster shells on a PVC T-bar thatallows the shells to hang, suspended in the watercolumn. The shells hang at the same elevation of live
oysters (~35 cm above sediment surface) in adjacentreefs and spat will settle onto them if conditions arefavorable. Shell stringers are swapped out monthly,
and the top and bottom shell from each stringer are
excluded from analysis. The shells are taken to the lab
for analysis. The quantity of oyster spat, % cover of
barnacles, % cover of algae, and % cover of tube
worms are counted and estimated on a per shell basis.
This is an expansion and formalization of a program Figure 34. Oyster T’s used for Oysterthat prior to June 2020 collected similar data but on a Spat Monitoring in the St. Lucie
Estuary (Image Credit: FOS)
sporadic basis. Data are available on request.

75

6.3.3 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Wetlands and Impounded and Altered Marshes
The IRL’s wetlands play a key role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. They provide a wide
variety of ecological functions, including serving as habitat for various species, providing water
quality protection and improvement, supporting the food chain, providing flood storage, andbuffering the lagoon from activities that occur on adjacent uplands. Upland wetlands provide
critical water storage that is important to hydrologic and salinity regimes, and they filter nutrientsand suspended solids. Tidal wetlands are important habitats for critical life stages of fisheryspecies. Much of the IRL’s wetlands have been altered, most obviously the wetlands that were
impounded or ditched and isolated from the IRL. These alterations were done to reduce breedingby salt marsh mosquitoes; females will not lay their eggs in standing water or on dry soil. Thisapproach isolated the wetlands from the IRL and eliminated or altered wetland plant community
structures. For several decades, these alterations have been at least partially mitigated by theconstruction of culverts/pumps to increase water flow and connectivity between the IRL and its
wetlands and by only flooding the impounded wetlands during mosquito breeding season (= thewet season). Also, dikes have been breached or removed and dragline ditches partially filled tomaximize wetland footprint.
Most IRL coastal wetland habitat monitoring focuses on wetland restoration and mitigation sites.
These monitoring efforts are generally short-lived, lasting only until regulatory success criteria are
met or to answer key management scenario questions regarding fish, crustacean, or bird usage.
Beyond ongoing coordinated water management district mapping efforts, very limited IRL habitat
monitoring was reported in the most recent Coastal Habitat Integrated Mapping and Monitoring
Program report (https://myfwc.com/media/12072/chimmp-report-2017.pdf).
SFWMD conducts Land Use/Land Cover Mapping (pp. A209-A213 in Appendix 2), a Tier 1
Scale effort in the Southern IRL. Similarly, SJRWMD and SFWMD conduct Land Use/Land
Cover Mapping (pp. A244-A247 in Appendix 2), for the rest of the IRL and the Halifax River.
For these parallel efforts, mapping is done approximately every 5 years (the year of image
acquisition is county-dependent), beginning in 1999 and most recently in 2014-2016. The land
cover maps mostly are classified based on a modified Florida Land Use/Land Cover and Forms
Classification System. Primarily using the codes for Saltmarsh (6420) and Mangrove forest (6120),changes in the total cover of these combined classes of wetland and changes in their individual
areal extents can be discerned among years. For example, trends in wetland loss and mangrove
expansion can be documented. These layers have been used for these purposes in the statewide
Coastal Habitat Integrated Mapping and Monitoring Program (CHIMMP). The land use data for
the watersheds are summarized in the annual South Florida Environmental Report. Data are
available online (https://data-floridaswater.opendata.arcgis.com/).
SJRWMD conducts Wetland Surface Elevation Monitoring (pp. A240-A243 in Appendix 2), a
Tier 3 Scale effort in Mosquito Lagoon (14 stations; Fig. 35) and the Northern IRL (39 stations;Fig. 36). This monitoring began in 2000 and occurs approximately every 5 years. Monitoring theelevation of wetlands using surface elevation tables/feldspar marker horizons (SET-MH) is a wellaccepted method within wetland science to measure surface elevation and the rates of accretion or
subsidence. A rod or pipe is driven into the marsh until stable. A special arm is attached, and pins
76

Figure 35. Wetland Surface Elevation monitoring locations in Mosquito Lagoon.

77

Figure 36. Wetland Surface Elevation monitoring locations in the Northern IndianRiver Lagoon.

78

are lowered through holes in the arm until they touch the marsh surface. The amount of each pin
remaining above the arm is measured to provide relative elevations. Once the station is surveyed,these relative elevations can be converted to absolute elevations. In addition, layers of feldspar areplaced on the marsh surface to establish marker horizons. Cores in these locations show theaccumulation of material above the marker horizons. In combination, the elevations measured withpins and changes in the depth of sediment above the marker horizon can be used to determine
accretion of material and subsidence below the marker horizon. SET/MH helps to elucidate how
coastal wetlands respond to both short-term episodic events, as well as long-term sea-level dynamics.
In addition, monitoring restored coastal wetland sites over time is required for evaluating progress
and improving IRL restoration methods. Comparing change in sediment elevation between unimpacted wetlands and restored wetlands may provide indications regarding the functioning andlong-terms sustainability of restored areas. Once established, sites can be revisited as often as
needed to meet the needs of resource managers and researchers. These data are available byrequest.
Similarly, the National Park Service Southeast Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network conducts
Wetland Surface Elevation Monitoring (pp. A157-A161 in Appendix 2), a Tier 3 Scale effort in
the Mosquito Lagoon at one site in the Canaveral National Seashore approximately every two
years. Methodology is similar to the previous program. A rod surface elevation table (SET) site
was installed prior to 2014 and was sampled in 2015, 2016, and partially in 2018. This site
consisted of 3 SET stations where elevation and accretion data were collected. This site will not
be sampled moving forward as two new sites were installed in 2021. These new sites consist of
three SET stations where surface elevation and accretion are being monitored annually. Elevation
measurements are collected with a surface elevation table. These data are available by request,
once they are published.

79

6.3.4 Summary of Healthy Habitats Parameters Measured by the One Lagoon Network
In regard to Healthy Habitats, the current One Lagoon Network focuses heavily on seagrasses, andto a lesser extent oysters, wetlands, and living shorelines. Significant gaps exist to address the Vital
Signs of Spoil Islands, Land Conservation, and Connected Waters. Moreover, current monitoring
efforts actually focus more on quantity than quality of IRL habitats. Indeed, “habitat quality” isoften a vague concept. Hall et al. (1997) defined habitat as “the resources and conditions present
in an area that produce occupancy – including survival and reproduction – by a given organism”
and considered habitat quality as “the ability of the environment to provide conditions appropriate
for individual and population persistence.” What is quite lacking in current IRL monitoring efforts
are measures of the ability of IRL habitats to support the growth and survival of organisms as wellas the combined ecosystem services provided by the habitats. It would also be desirable to integratebetter the monitoring being conducted at the three spatial tiers (Fig. 27). Gaps in monitoring
Healthy Habitats will be further explored later in this report (see Section 7.2).

80

6.4 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Living Resources
The Living Resources category in the IRL Vital Signs wheel (Fig. 2) has six Vital Signs:
Biodiversity, Species of Concern, Exotic & Invasive, Fisheries, Forage Fishes, and Harmful Algal
Blooms. There are 31 projects in the One Lagoon Monitoring Network, of which three
predominantly address Biodiversity; 16 address Species of Concern; five address Fisheries, one ofwhich also addresses Forage Fishes; and seven address Harmful Algal Blooms (Table 4). There is
no existing monitoring program that specifically focuses on the Exotic & Invasive Vital Sign. The
Living Resources category is, of course, heavily linked to the Water Quality and Healthy Habitats
categories.
6.4.1 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Biodiversity
Biodiversity (originally a contraction of the phrase “biological diversity”) can be defined simply
as the variety of life. Biodiversity cuts across different levels of organization:• Species diversity measures the number of species in a given area (and is what one usually
first thinks of in regard to “biodiversity”)• Genetic diversity measures the genetic variation within populations of species (suchvariation is important in regards to the long-term survival of species, with higher
survivability related to greater genetic diversity)• Ecosystem diversity measures the variety of communities or habitats in an ecosystem (thisis the largest scale of biodiversity, and ecosystem biodiversity is influenced by both species
and genetic diversity)
There is strong consensus that the integrity of ecosystem services is linked to biodiversity (e.g.,
Duarte 2000, Palumbi 2009). Hence, the health of the IRL can be evaluated by its biodiversity andchanges in biodiversity over time, as well as the ecosystem services provided.
According to the Smithsonian Marine Station’s Indian River Lagoon Species Inventory, more than
4,400 species of plants and animals live in the IRL watershed. These numbers include the entire
watershed, not the IRL. However, these estimates underestimate the IRL’s tremendous microbial
biodiversity; for example, Hargraves (2021) recently pointed out that the diversity of microalgae
and related protists in the IRL is exceedingly rich, likely exceeding 2,000 species, in a wide variety
of known and cryptic classes. We still have much to learn about microalgal biodiversity (see also
Section 6.4.5 Harmful Algal Blooms). All three of the projects listed under Biodiversity in the One
Lagoon Monitoring Network are conducted by the Smithsonian Marine Station; IRL biodiversity
has been a focus of SMS since its formal inception in 1982, but began in 1969.
The most significant sustained program on IRL biodiversity is the Smithsonian Marine Station’s
Indian River Lagoon Species Inventory (IRLSI, pp. A184-A188 in Appendix 2) which covers
all areas of the IRL, exclusive of the Halifax River. The roots of the IRLSI began in 1994, an effort
that grew out of the IRLNEP’s sponsored conference on Biodiversity of the Indian River Lagoon.
(Bulletin of Marine Science 1995). The goal of that conference was to assemble and synthesize
information on the status of biodiversity in the Lagoon. That synthesis contributed to management
81

recommendations for inclusion in IRLNEP’s initial Comprehensive Conservation Management
Plan (IRLNEP 1996) and the first attempt made by scientists to inventory IRL biodiversity. That
initial effort was led by Dr. Hilary Swain, then at Florida of Technology, and SMS subsequently
developed the inventory into an open-access online database. With support from IRLNEP, the
IRLSI now is undergoing modernization and expansion to increase public access to data that will
help stakeholders understand the unique qualities of the IRL and how it is faring in the face ofrecent and ongoing environmental threats. Renovation of the IRLSI includes transferring existing
content to a biodiversity database management system, moving the site to a new domain for better
accessibility, and expanding the database to include records that take advantage of modern
biodiversity measures and techniques, such as DNA barcoding. The IRLSI includes information
on species occurrences and abundances within the IRL system; reports on IRL species and habitats,special status species and other aspects of the IRL to assess biodiversity, understand key players,and educate stakeholders. The data in IRLSI come from other research and monitoring projects
that follow their own QA/QC methods. Occurrence records are gathered only from scientificexperts. Efforts have begun to provide barcodes for all taxa entered into the inventory, increasing
the accuracy of our biodiversity estimates and eventually leading to more definitive identifications
for many species. The IRLSI is publicly accessible at: https://irlspecies.org.
The SMS also conducts Benthic Infaunal Monitoring in the Southern IRL and the St. Lucie
Estuary (pp. A179-A183 in Appendix 2). Benthic infaunal communities are important indicatorsof ecosystem change because they are comprised of organisms with limited mobility that reproduce
quickly and respond predictably to stress. As part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration
Plan to restore more natural water flows across the Florida peninsula, SMS has been monitoringthese sediment-dwelling fauna in a long-term study thatbegan in 2005. These communities are studied in relation
to changing water quality and sediment characteristics at
21 stations in the IRL and SLE (Figs. 37, 38). Quarterly ateach station, infauna are sampled via petit ponar grab (n =3). Sediment organic and water content are calculated
from core samples taken from a depth of 5 cm, andcorresponding physical data (water temperature, salinity,
dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, wind speed, cloud cover,
and approximate current speed and direction) arerecorded. Annually, additional core samples are taken for
sediment characteristics (color, texture, grain size, presence of
H2S). Samples from the six stations in Indian River andBrevard Counties are only processed when extra funds areavailable. By tracking abundance, diversity, andcomposition of infauna in relation to abiotic parameters,
these communities are used to help gauge overall
ecosystem health as the restoration process continues.
Through various analyses and taxonomic approaches,
including DNA barcoding, particular species are being Figure 37. Sampling infauna with aidentified that serve as biological indicators of ecosystem petit ponar grab. (Image Credit:
Michelle Donahue, SMS)
stress. Data are QAed/QCed and are available upon request.
82

Figure 38. Benthic infaunal monitoring stations in the Indian River Lagoon and theSt. Lucie Estuary.

83

The SMS also conducts MarineGEO Fouling Community Monitoring (pp. A189-A195 in
Appendix 2). A focus of MarineGEO (previously introduced in Section 6.3.1) is biodiversity andthe causes and consequences of its change. MarineGEO conducts both monitoring of essential
coastal habitats as well as network experiments to examine large-scale questions within a variety
of fundamental ecological themes. MarGEO’s global footprint includes a significant effort by the
SMS in the Central and the Southern IRL initiated in 2017 to monitor fouling species. The
protocols used are standardized, common techniques that have been well-vetted in each of thehabitats. Each summer six fouling panels made of PVC are deployed in five different habitats(oysters, seagrass, soft-sediment, mangrove, and docks) and these habitats are replicated threetimes (15 total sites; Fig. 39). The development of these communities is monitored over threemonths. Upon retrieval, the fouling organisms are examined microscopically for species
identification. Biodiversity is measured with standardized protocols in each habitat. The majority
of introduced species within the coastal marine zone are found in these communities, and therefore
this project helps provide a good inventory of non-native marine invertebrates in the lagoon. This
project has also conducted three intensive bio-blitzes within the IRL in the past several years withthe goal to barcode all invertebrates with accompanying vouchers and photographs. These data are
typically not available until after they are published, but may be available on request.

84

Figure 39. MarineGEO’s fouling community monitoring stations in the Central andSouthern Indian River Lagoon.

85

6.4.2 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Species of Concern
The IRL region has more than 50 species that are listed as endangered, threatened, or species of
special concern, and more than 70 others that are considered rare (IRLNEP 2019). In the IRL,
these include federally protected species such as marine mammals, including whales, dolphins,manatees, and otters. Species checklists for birds, fishes, mammals, plants, reptiles, andamphibians can be found in the IRLSI (https://irlspecies.org/checklists/index.php). Species ofConcern also include species that are considered threats to the IRL, in particular, Harmful Algal
Blooms (HABs). In 2022, three new projects were implemented in 2022 as part of the NASA
Kennedy Space Center Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan (NASA Kennedy Space Center2021): Status of the Horseshoe Crab (HSC) at KSC, Juvenile Sea Turtle Status and Health
Monitoring in the Kennedy Space Center Lagoons, and The Role of Kennedy Space Center for
Sustaining Sportfish Populations in a Rapidly Urbanizing Estuary. These new projects are notincluded in the One Lagoon Monitoring Network at this time because they are not yet considered
to be “ongoing”; their future funding will be determined annually.
Species of Concern: Florida Manatee
Since 2012, FWC has conducted aerial surveys of the entire IRL at approximate five-year intervals
to assess manatee abundance as part of the Florida Manatee Statewide Abundance Monitoring
Program (pp. A81-A85 in Appendix 2). The goal of this program is to estimate the statewide
abundance of the Florida manatee population, with a statistically sound measure of uncertainty
around that point estimate. Week-long aerial surveys are conducted in March or December(depending on weather conditions and other factors) on the west coast of Florida in one year andon the east coast in the subsequent year, e.g., surveys were conducted in 2011 and 2015 on thewest coast and in 2012 and 2016 on the east coast. The survey methodology and analysis aredesigned to account for imperfect detection resulting from manatees that are unavailable to be
detected given water visibility (e.g., too deep) and manatees that were available but not sighted by
the observers (i.e., perception bias). Estuaries, rivers, creeks, and coastlines from all or part of 26
counties on the west coast and 21 counties on the east coast of Florida are surveyed. A stratified
random sampling protocol is utilized in which all potential manatee habitat is included in thesampling frame, and allocated into three survey strata: Stratum 1 – warm-water aggregation
habitats; Stratum 2 – areas deemed likely manatee habitats (based on a bathymetry of less than 3.7
m and the presence of seagrass); and Stratum 3 – habitats less likely to be occupied by manatees(e.g., deep areas with no seagrass) (Martin et al. 2011, 2015; Dorazio et al. 2013). The number ofmanatees is modeled using Bayesian hierarchical modeling techniques. Data are available uponrequest.
The Florida Manatee Regional Distribution and Abundance Monitoring Program (pp. A76A75 in Appendix 2) is conducted by FWC along the entire IRL. Since 1985, the purpose ofmanatee “distribution surveys” has been to document seasonal patterns in manatee spatial
distribution and habitat use at the county or larger regional scale. Typically, aerial surveys havebeen flown twice per month for one or two years. Manatee counts (adults and calves), location,and behavior are recorded on maps. These data have been relied on by resource managers to86

identify areas in need of protection (e.g., watercraft speed zones). For general methodology andfindings from pre-2005 surveys see Edwards and Ackerman (2016). Data are available uponrequest.
FWC also conducts the Manatee Warm-Water Habitat Temperature Monitoring Program(pp. A91-A95 in Appendix 2) at 66 monitoring sites in Banana River, the Northern IRL, the Central
IRL, and the Southern IRL (Fig. 40). One of the most significant habitat issues facing Florida
manatees in coming decades is the loss or degradation of warm-water refuges within their winterrange. Manatees will need to find alternative warm-water habitats such as springs, passive thermalbasins (e.g., canals), or human-generated sources. An essential task of FWC’s warm-water habitat
research is characterizing sites for their ability to provide adequate thermal refuge for manatees
during cold weather. Project objectives are to: (1) provide a long-term record of water temperaturesat power plants and other industrial sources to document operational changes that may affectmanatee distribution, behavior, and mortality; (2) assess thermal quality and reliability of passive
thermal basins to inform future warm-water networks and projections of cold-related mortality;(3) enhance ongoing or future population, ecological, and behavioral studies of manatees by
providing data on water temperatures and quality of warm-water habitats; and (4) informmanagement decisions on manatee warm-water habitat issues.
Since 2007, FWC manatee research staff have deployed water temperature data loggers at known
and potential warm-water sites in many areas of the state of Florida, including the IRL. Dataloggers are also deployed at nearby ambient sites to determine the thermal benefit of the warmwater sites. Data loggers are deployed in October and removed in April; data are recorded at 30minute intervals throughout the winter season (November 1 – March 31). Loggers are deployed atvarious depths in the water column, depending on the site: sediment, bottom (within 0.5 m of thebottom), column, and surface (within 0.5 m of the surface); most sites include at least a bottom
logger. Temperature data are QAed/QCed and are available on request.
Kennedy Space Center conducts Monitoring Distribution and Abundance of Manatees in
Kennedy Space Center Waters (pp. A142-A147 in Appendix 2) in parts of Mosquito Lagoon,
Banana River, and the Northern IRL. Systematic surveys over the KSC portion of Banana River
from SR528 north and over Banana Creek began in 1977 and have continued to present with slight
modifications over the years. Beginning in 2016, as a response to the trend of declining numbersof manatees observed in the Banana River Lagoon and concurrent reports of large numbers being
observed in Mosquito Lagoon, where manatee numbers were traditionally low, the survey area
was expanded to that basin. NASA helicopters provide the observation platform with an observeron each side and a data recorder with computer and GPS systems guiding the flightpath andmarking the observer callouts. During the monthly surveys, animal location, attribute information(e.g., behavior, number in-group, number of adults and calves), and environmental conditions arerecorded. These data allow comparison of trends both seasonally and annually, use patterns related
to habitat features, such as depth and seagrass beds, and aids in identifying and recovering stranded
dead manatees.

87Figure 40. FWC’s Manatee Warm-Water Habitat Temperature Monitoring Program in
Banana River and the Indian River Lagoon.

88For annual comparisons of manatee relative abundance, the summer (June, July, and August) mean
number of manatees observed per flight is used. Using this time period reduces noise in the data,
because the summer is a period with lowest manatee emigration/immigration at KSC. Results fromsummer only surveys have shown an overall long-term trend of increasing number of manatees
utilizing Banana River from 1977-2015 followed by a decline starting in 2016 and a concurrent
increase in Mosquito Lagoon where manatee numbers have been traditionally low. This apparent
shift in distribution from the Banana River to the Mosquito Lagoon has management and resource
implications, such as long-term availability of seagrass for forage and the possibility of increased
boat manatee interaction. This shift is of interest to KSC and others (i.e., FWC, USFWS, andCanaveral National Seashore), each having mandates to protect manatees and their habitat. Data
are QAed/QCed and are available on request.
In the project Health Effects and Behavioral Response of Florida Manatees (Trichechus
manatus latirostris) to Persistent Algal Bloom and Associated Loss of Seagrass Resources in
Brevard County, Florida (pp. A269-A2748 in Appendix 2) begun in 2011, the USGS is capturing
manatees in the Northern IRL, Banana River, and Mosquito Lagoon and conducting healthassessments to rate body condition and collect biomedical samples (Fig. 41). Gut samples areanalyzed for microbiome profiles to quantify levels of detrimental bacterial strains and performmanatee immune-marker panels to assess
pathways stimulated by pathogens, stress, orchronic illness. Following health assessments,
released manatees are monitored with GPS
telemetry tags to track manatee movements andbehaviors, and to identify foraging, travelling,
resting, and other use areas. These data arecollected to survey habitat used by tagged
manatees to identify seagrass and macroalgal
species assemblages in manatee foraging areas.
USGS is documenting available submerged
aquatic vegetation and physical environmental
factors, such as depth, temperature, and substratein areas associated with manatee use with a “Quad- Figure 41. USGS is working with partners toCam” underwater imager. Data are QAed/QCed conduct health assessments on manateesin the DeSoto Park canal (Satellite Beach).
and are available on request.
FAU Harbor Branch launched the Manatee Project at HBOI in 2009 (pp. A35-A40 in Appendix2). This monitoring consists of shore-based and drone surveys of manatees at HBOI and Round
Island Riverside Park (Fig. 42). Drone surveys will include other sites in the future. Surveys are
based on photo-identification of scar patterns on individual manatees. Shore-based photos aretaken with handheld cameras equipped with polarized filters. Currently about 500 different
individuals are recognized, and 120 of those are matched with the USGS Manatee Individual
Photo-identification System (MIPS; https://www.usgs.gov/centers/wetland-and-aquatic-researchcenter-warc/science/manatee-photo-id-tool-research-manatee-0). Numbers of manatees, numbersof calves, behavioral information, habitat information (for sites away from HBOI ship channel),and basic weather data are also collected with each observation. Data are available upon request.
89

Figure 42. The Manatee Project at HBOI has been monitoring manatees with photo-identificationof scar patterns on individual manatees since 2009. (Image Credit: HBOI)Species of Concern: Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins
Since 1999, Marine Mammal Research (pp.
A121-A125 in Appendix 2) conducted by Hubbs
SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI) has
monitored dolphin health and population status in
the IRL by investigating strandings and boatbased photo-identification (Fig. 43). The HSWRI
stranding response area covers the areas from
Sebastian Inlet to Flagler County in the
Intracoastal Waterway. HSWRI surveys cover the
Halifax River north to the Tomoka basin.
Monitoring includes mortality and associatedparameters such as mercury levels and infectious
disease. HSWRI also monitors behavior alongwith environmental parameters during surveys.
Data are available when published.

Figure 43. Hubbs SeaWorld ResearchInstitute has been surveying IRL dolphin
populations with photo identification since1999. (Image Credit: HSWRI)

Since June 2021, the FAU HBOI Stranding and Population Assessment Program (pp. A20-A23 inAppendix 2) has conducted monthly, NMFS-permitted, boat-based dolphin surveys in the Central
IRL (Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet, including the St. Lucie River). The team captures dolphin
dorsal fin and body shots with cameras to maintain a dolphin photo ID catalog. These images are
stored on a private server at FAU Harbor Branch and an iCloud server database. The team alsouses a YSI meter to collect water parameters such as pH, DO, salinity, conductivity, and watertemperature after every dolphin sighting. Data may be available on request.
Species of Concern: Reptiles
UCF’s IRL Long-Term In-Water Marine Turtle Monitoring Program (pp. A280-A284 in
Appendix 2) is a long-term monitoring program that has consistently sampled the same site near90

Sebastian Inlet since 1982. The UCF Marine Turtle Research Group samples twice a month, yearround, for sea turtles in the IRL. This team sets ~0.5-km long tangle nets on the east side of the
IRL approximately 1-2 km south of the Sebastian Inlet. Net soak time is three hours, and theresearch group samples every sea turtle captured in the net. Ambient environmental data (waterand air temperatures, salinity, pH, and wind at the site of net set) is also collected. All turtles areworked up onboard a boat and released back to the IRL. Parameters measured include: sea turtle
morphometrics, disease ecology (viral load in blood), genetic diversity (blood/tissue), body
condition indices, injuries, foraging ecology (diet via lavage or stable isotope analyses), animal
movement (via telemetry, mark recapture), and population demographics (mark recapture
analyses). All data and samples are used to understand changes in the IRL sea turtle aggregations
over time (genetic stock structure, broad health indices/indicators/disease presence, foraging
ecology, etc.). Requests for data are considered on a case-by-case basis since UCF’s permits limit
the amount of samples that may be collected.
In partnership with FDEP and FWC, Brevard Zoo
has been collecting sightings of diamondback
terrapin (Fig. 44) in the Indian River Lagoon by
the public since 2013 in Indian River Lagoon
Diamondback Terrapin Sighting Reporting
Program (pp. A16-A19 in Appendix 2). Since
that time, more than 240 sightings have been
received, guiding research and conservation
efforts for these turtles. Many of the reports
submitted to Brevard Zoo include photos of theindividual turtle seen by a community member;staff are able to review those photos to confirm theturtle is correctly identified as a diamondback
terrapin. Diamondback terrapins are prized in theillegal wildlife trade. Due to the risk of turtle
poaching, Brevard Zoo does not make the sighting
data readily available as this includes the locationof individual turtles who have a relatively small
home range. The zoo is willing to share data withresearchers on a case-by-case basis.

Figure 44. Although now rare in the IRL,
the diamondback terrapin’s protection islimited by inadequate data on its
distribution and demographics (Image
Credit: IRLNEP)

Species of Concern: Birds
NASA-Kennedy Space Center initiated the Wading Bird Foraging Habitat and Nesting Success
Monitoring Program (pp. A148-A151 in Appendix 2) in 1987. This long-term monitoring of
wading birds at KSC consists of: 1) a continuation of the wading bird foraging habitat use aerial
surveys which have been conducted monthly since 1987 in 13-25 KSC impoundments; 2) acontinuation of the annual wading bird nesting colony peak count boat and aerial surveys whichhave been conducted annually since 1987; and 3) a new study of nest productivity in three to fiveof the largest wading bird nesting colonies on KSC. These activities are aimed at providing91

resource managers with information related to environmental compliance and natural resource
management on KSC. The data are available upon request.
FDEP’s IRL Aquatic Preserves Program has conducted Spoil Island Rookery Monitoring (pp.
A47-A50 in Appendix 2) in the Central IRL and Banana River since 2010. Spoil island rookeries
are monitored monthly for the nesting season from February to September. Seasonal nesting
success is tracked by following nesting attempts through the entirety of the nesting season. Nestingis documented from start (courtship/nest building, etc.) to finish (chick fledging). Density anddiversity estimates are made for both wading birds and seabirds. Monitoring is done by one staff
member only to minimize observer bias. Data are collected with binoculars and by either walking
or boating around the islands. Parameters include wading bird and seabird nest attempts andsuccess, population estimates, habitat use, and site fidelity. Data are available by request.
FWC leads the Florida Shorebird Alliance (FSA, pp. A101-A105 in Appendix 2), whichmonitors shore bird population abundance and distribution throughout all of the IRL, except theSouthern IRL. Shorebird surveys provide important information about when and where shorebirds
and seabirds occur in Florida. FSA partners (various agencies, NGOs, and public volunteers)organize and participate in a variety of shorebird and seabird surveys throughout the year. Most
surveys are simple and provide a “snapshot” of how birds are distributed during certain times ofthe year (for example, breeding season and non-breeding season). Other surveys are more
involved; these include long-term studies to identify trends in distribution and abundance overtime. Monitoring may be conducted by walking, driving, and boating. Binoculars and scopes areused. FSA partners work within an adaptive management framework. A crucial component toadaptive management is long-term monitoring. Long-term monitoring of nests and colonies
enables the detection of changes in the abundance, distribution, and overall productivity ofbreeding shorebirds and seabirds over time. Monitoring also facilitates understanding the effectsof various factors (e.g., habitat loss, predators, disease, and pollution) on shorebird and seabird
populations. Based on the data received from monitoring, FSA partners can implement effective
management strategies and develop conservation guidelines. Data are available by request.
FWC and Martin County conduct Wading Bird Rookery Monitoring (no survey received) at the
Bird Island Critical Wildlife Area. Bird Island is a spoil island in the Indian River Lagoon in MartinCounty. The island is closed to public access year-round to protect nesting and roosting birds andis cooperatively managed monthly throughout the year. Nest counts are conducted from a boat
circling the island and it is certain that some interior nests are not counted. Parameters include
wading bird nest attempts and success and population estimates. Results are published annually in
the South Florida Wading Bird Report; the most recent report, for 2019, was published in 2020:
https://www.sfwmd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/SFWBR_2019.pdf.
Species of Concern: Others
FWC’s Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch (pp. A71-A75 in Appendix 2) is a horseshoe crab
spawning monitoring program sustained by volunteers. Monitoring is conducted during peak
spawning season, at numerous sites throughout the IRL (Figs. 45, 46). Sampling occurs threemonths a year during peak spawning season (April – June). Northern sites are monitored daily.
92Southern sites are monitored daily on three consecutive days, during new and full moons eachmonth. A pre-determined length of beach is surveyed around high tide. Volunteers walk the beachat high tide and record the number of spawning crabs,
collect a subset of the horseshoe crabs, and weigh,measure, assess for injuries, and tag them. Hanging scales
are used to weigh, rulers are used to measure prosoma
width, and an awl is used to insert the plastic disk tags into
the horseshoe crab (Fig. 45). The tags are part of anationwide mark recapture program to establish rangewide population trends. Any horseshoe crabs that had
been previously tagged are recorded and reported to
USFWS. Also recorded are environmental variables suchas wind speed, wind direction, water temperature, and air
Figure 45. Tagging of horseshoetemperature to model peak spawning times in the IRL.
crabs by Florida Horseshoe Crab
Unlike the rest of Florida, the IRL population of horseshoe Watch is part of a nationwide markcrabs does not reliably spawn around the highest tide since recapture program to establish
much of the IRL is microtidal. This monitoring will assist range-wide population trends ofin determining what environmental variables prompt this species of concern. (Image
spawning in the IRL. Data are available on request.
Credit: Rosalyn Kilcollins)
Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute’s Otter Spotter Program (pp. A126-A130 in Appendix 2)
studies North American river otters in the lagoon and nearby watershed. Both applied research aswell as citizen science monitoring are employed to understand the health and ecology of riverotters in the area. Animals are monitored using camera traps and sightings by volunteers. Deadanimals are necropsied and examined for health, contaminants, and longevity. Data are available
when published.

93

Figure 46. FWC’s Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch stations in Mosquito Lagoon,
Banana River, and the Indian River Lagoon.

946.4.3 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Fisheries
FWC’s Fisheries Dependent Monitoring (pp. A61-A65 in Appendix 2) collects data on >200
species of fish and invertebrates caught in Florida waters. This survey has existed since 1979 and
FWRI began conducting field components of the survey in 1997. Fishery-dependent data arecollected directly from people who harvest and release marine species and are used to monitor
catch rates and assess the health of targeted fish and invertebrate populations. Statistics arecollected from commercial, recreational, and for-hire fishers. For-hire fishing includes recreational
fishing from charter vessels, guide boats, and head boats. The Marine Recreational Information
Program (MRIP, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/recreational-fishing-data), a federal survey
administered by USFWS, is conducted in coastal states around the country. The State Reef Fish
Survey runs side-by-side with the MRIP. MRIP has two complementary components. The fieldintercept component collects catch and harvest data directly from anglers during personal
interviews. The telephone survey component collects information about fishing trips from anglers,
including numbers of anglers in each household contacted and how often they go fishing.
Combined, the two portions of the survey are used to estimate total catch, harvest, and effort in therecreational fishery. Surveys are conducted at randomly selected locations. Each survey collects
trip level data to characterize the location, gears, and effort associated with catch. Biological data
include: length, weight, age structures (otoliths and spines), sex, gonadal condition, gonad
samples, muscle samples, and fin clips. Confidentiality and regulations related to releasing
commercial and recreational data differ. Summarized recreational data are provided upon request.
Some raw data summaries may be provided, but each data request considers confidentiality issues.
Raw commercial data are confidential, but summarized data are publicly accessible through online
portals (the MRIP website above, as well as https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/fishstats/commercialfisheries/landings-in-florida/).
FWC conducts Fisheries Independent Monitoring (FIM, pp. A66-A70 in Appendix 2)
throughout the IRL. This long-term program, launched in 1990, is designed to monitor the relative
abundance of fishery resources in Florida’s major estuarine, coastal, and reef systems. The
program was developed to: 1) address the critical need for effective assessment techniques for anarray of species and sizes of fishes and selected invertebrates; 2) provide timely information foruse in management plans; and 3) monitor trends in the relative abundance of taxa in a variety ofestuarine and marine systems throughout Florida. The FIM program uses a multi-gear approach tocollect data on various life history stages of fishes and selected invertebrates from a wide varietyof habitats. A 21.3-m center bag seine targets young-of-year (YOY) and juvenile fishes in shallow
water (≤1.8 m); a 6.1-m otter trawl targets YOY, juvenile, and adult fish in deep water (1.0–7.6m); a 183-m haul seine targets sub-adult and adult fish along shorelines in water depths ≤2.5 m.
Comprehensive fish habitat information is recorded at each sampling station according tostandardized FIM procedures. At each station, parameters monitored include: fish species, fish
number, fish length, bycatch, qualitative measures of seagrass cover, and general water quality(water temperature, salinity, pH, and dissolved oxygen, recorded with a YSI multiprobe
instrument). FIM’s juvenile indices are used as tuning indices in the stock assessment models. FIM
also routinely collects specimens and tissue samples for a variety of other purposes including
genetics, isotopes, pathology, and age-growth studies. Data are available on request.
95

FWC initiated the Fish Kill Hotline (FKH; pp. A56-A60 in Appendix 2) in 1995 to document andmonitor fish kills, coordinate event response with partners, and provide general information aboutfish kills and disease to the public. FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Health Program (FWH) has longdepended on citizen scientists to help track fish kills and monitor aquatic animal diseases in statewaters. Monitoring fish kills around the state allows FKH to recognize important epizootics andopportunistically collect biological samples. Its database can be queried online to help interested
parties determine the status and the historical trends for reported fish disease and mortality events.
Reporting is dependent on the public’s knowledge of the FKH and motivation to report fish kills
and disease. Other response efforts have focused on specific mortality, disease, or algal toxin issues(in conjunction with the FWRI Harmful Algal Bloom and Marine Mammal groups) over the years,
and as appropriate, short-term targeted research has been conducted (e.g., saxitoxins in pufferfish;tumors in clams, sea turtles, and fish; manatee unusual mortality event in 2013; brown tide effects;
St. Lucie fish lesions). Routine monitoring for fish health is conducted by FWRI-Fisheries
Independent Monitoring group and cases of interest sent to FWH (e.g., tumors in redfin
needlefish). Since the hotline’s inception, FKH has received and responded to over 31,400
reports/information requests. The hotline can be accessed by the public to report aquatic mortalityand disease events directly to scientists, who can respond immediately to their concerns, by astatewide, toll‐free phone number (1‐800‐636‐0511), a web‐based reporting form
(https://public.myfwc.com/FWRI/FishKillReport/Submit.aspx), and the FWC Reporter App(https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/health/fish-kills-hotline/app/). Data from the hotline are
publicly available at: https://public.myfwc.com/fwri/FishKillReport/searchresults.aspx).
FWC helps coordinate the FACT (Florida Atlantic Coast Telemetry) Network (pp. A51-A56 inAppendix 2, https://secoora.org/fact/), a grassroots collaboration dedicated to improving theconservation and management of aquatic animals by facilitating data sharing among researchers
using acoustic telemetry technology, providing a community for scientists, and building
stakeholder partnerships. The groups within the FACT Network currently doing research in the
IRL include: Kennedy Space Center, FAU-Harbor Branch, University of Florida, and the FWRI
Tequesta Lab. The monitoring projects differ by organization. However, all projects use passive
acoustic telemetry to detect tagged marine animals. Listening devices, called receivers, record aunique code and datetime stamp from ultrasonic pingers (tags) when the tagged animal comes
within range, usually 500 m or less. Detection data are retrieved when the receivers are downloaded
about once every six months. Researchers using the online data sharing system (the FACT Node)have their detection data run through basic QA/QC procedures and matched to registered tags.
Detection data are checked for correct coordinates, whether data are within deployment datetimes,
and corrected for time drift. Specifically, the FACT Network in the IRL resolves the movements,
habitat associations, and survival of IRL fishes and sea turtles, and documents lagoon-ocean
exchanges and coastal migrations, with an emphasis on managed sportfish, coastal sharks, andendangered species (sea turtles, sawfish, etc.). Some data are now available online (see:https://secoora.org/fact/data-visualization-tool/); other requests considered on a case-by-case basis
by project PIs.

96

FAU-HBOI’s IRL Elasmobranch Abundance and Movement Ecology (pp. A29-A34 inAppendix 2) is a monitoring program focused on elasmobranchs (i.e., sharks and rays) that wasestablished in 2016 with initial goals to characterize species, understand dynamics related toenvironmental covariates, and develop long-term indices of abundance to track population changes
in the IRL. The primary sampling gears in thesurvey have included: 1) Bottom longline gears
used in the NOAA Coastal Shark Population
Assessment and Nursery (COASTSPAN) program,and 2) multi-panel (4.0-6.0” stretched mesh)monofilament gillnets (Fig. 47). Monitoring
frequency varies, but is during spring and fallseasons. Since 2016, the major region of emphasis
has been centered between Sebastian and St. Lucie
inlets (including the St. Lucie River); however,additional sampling was extended into the Northern
IRL and Banana River in 2018. Where possible,
gear deployments are standardized with respect tosoak time (catch per unit effort, CPUE), and a series Figure 47. During sampling by the IRLof environmental measurements are made with a Elasmobranch Abundance and Movement
YSI Multi-parameter instrument (temperature, Ecology program, specimens are measured
salinity, dissolved oxygen, specific conductivity) prior to being released. (Image Credit: FAUHBOI)
and Secchi disk. Data are available upon request.
6.4.4 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Forage Fishes
FWC’s Fisheries Independent Monitoring (see above) includes forage fishes in their monitoring.
There are no other programs focused on forage fishes in the IRL.
6.4.5 One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
The FWC Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring Program (pp. A86-A90 in Appendix 2) is a statewide program begun in 1953. HAB monitoring in the IRL (Fig. 48, 49) is conducted primarily via
microscopic analysis of routine and event-response seawater samples. Sampling effort has varied
widely over time, and historically has often been event-driven and focused on Pyrodinium
bahamense or Karenia brevis blooms. Samples are collected by a monitoring network consistingof FWRI staff and diverse partners including citizen scientists and analyzed by light microscopy
at FWRI. Water quality measures are also taken at these stations. YSI readings of conductivity,
salinity, temperature, DO, and pH at made at surface and bottom at each site. In the lab, typically,
HAB species are enumerated, primarily Karenia spp., Pyrodinium bahamense, and Pseudonitzschia spp., given the potential human health impacts of these species. Genetic, electron
microscopy, and flow cytometric methods are used and/or developed to respond to events andemergent HABs like Aureoumbra lagunensis. When algae are suspected to be involved as apotential causative factor in fish kills or wildlife mortality events, this HAB monitoring programis also involved with response and partners closely with FWRI’s Fish and Wildlife Health team,
FDEP, Florida Department of Health (FDOH), Water Management District staff, and others. FWC
97

Figure 48. Microalgae and harmful algal blooms stations in Mosquito Lagoon,
Banana River, and the Northern Indian River Lagoon.

98

Figure 49. Microalgae and harmful algal blooms stations in the Central and Southern
Indian River Lagoon.
99

partners closely with FDACS to test seawater and molluscan bivalves related to opening andclosing approved shellfish harvest areas using standardized methods. Data are publicly available at:https://myfwc.com/research/redtide/monitoring/database/.
The Phytoplankton Monitoring Network (PMN, pp. A169-A173 in Appendix 2), maintained by
NOAA-NCCOS, is a community-based network of volunteers monitoring marine and freshwater
phytoplankton and harmful algal blooms launched in 2001. The PMN enhances the nation’s ability
to respond to and to manage the growing threat posed by HABs by collecting important data for
species composition and distribution in coastal waters. In Martin County, PMN volunteers arecomposed entirely of trained scientists. Every two weeks, volunteers gather data at their respective
sites (Fig. 49) using plankton nets, thermometers, and refractometers. Some volunteers utilize
additional monitoring tools to collect data on dissolved oxygen concentration, pH, and turbidity.
Samples are analyzed with digital microscopy. Preserved samples are sent to the NOAA Marine
Biotoxins Program for confirmation and potential toxin determination. PMN personnel notify stateshellfish managers of blooms to serve as an early warning system of potential human healthimpacts. Data are available at https://ecowatch.ncddc.noaa.gov/erddap/tabledap/bedi_PMN.html.
SJRWMD has conducted Indian River Lagoon Phytoplankton Bloom Sampling (pp. A221-A224 inAppendix 2) in all areas of the IRL, except the Southern IRL since 2005 to determine phytoplankton and
HAB abundance and taxonomic composition, along withgeneral water quality parameters. Samples are taken whena phytoplankton bloom is observed during fieldwork or
when staff of SJRWMD or another agency request
sampling of a suspected bloom. Specifics for determining
when and how to collect bloom samples are outlined in
Phlips et al. 2021. Samples are taken with a verticallyintegrating tube (Fig. 50) or with a subsurface grab.
Collection depth is measured and recorded, and whenpossible Secchi depth, a code for weather, percent cloud
cover, wind velocity, wind direction, and air temperatureare recorded. Multi-meter readings for water temperature,pH, conductivity/salinity, dissolved oxygen concentration,and chlorophyll fluorescence are collected at 0.35 m fromthe surface of the water and at 0.10 m from the bottom.
Coordinates and a location description are recorded. In theabsence of coordinates, the location’s distance andposition relative to nearby terrestrial features are
documented. Samples are preserved on site with Lugol’ssolution, and on request, live samples may be collected
and kept cool in the dark. Samples are shipped to the
University of Florida for the identification and Figure 50. Collecting a sample with aenumeration of dominant taxa. Analysis follows QA/QC vertically integrating tube in SJRWMD’sprotocols established and maintained by Dr. Ed Phlips at IRL Phytoplankton Bloom Sampling.
the University of Florida. Data are available upon request. (Image Credit: SJRWMD)
100

Since 1997, the University of Florida has conducted IRL Microalgae and Harmful Algal Bloom
Monitoring-North (pp. A285-A286 in Appendix 2) to determine phytoplankton and harmful algal
bloom abundance and taxonomic composition, and general water quality parameters. IRLNEP has
supported this effort since 2019. Every two weeks, samples of phytoplankton are taken at fivestations from Mosquito Lagoon to the Central IRL (Fig. 48). The field collection methods are
identical to SJRWMD’s IRL Phytoplankton Bloom Sampling above. Laboratory analyses include
inverted microscopy analysis for phytoplankton composition, biovolume, and biomass (carbon)
and fluorescence microscopy analysis for picoplanktonic phytoplankton. Data are available uponrequest.
IRL Microalgae and Harmful Algal Bloom
Monitoring-South (pp. A41-A46 in Appendix 2) has
been conducted with IRLNEP support by FAU-HBOI
since 2019. Surface water samples (500 mL) arecollected at five stations in the Central and Southern
IRL and SLE (Figs. 49, 51) twice per month. Samples
are analyzed for species composition, abundance,
biovolume, and biomass with microscopy. In the eventof a major HAB event as defined as a transition in the
bloom index indicated by chlorophyll-a and/or cellcount, FAU-HBOI provides quick and timely
taxonomic identification and cell count data if a HAB
is initiating or in progress. Information about thedominant HAB species composition and abundance isprovided to the IRLNEP. Data are available on request.
SFWMD initiated the C-44 and St. Lucie Estuary
Phytoplankton Study (pp. A196-A201 in Appendix
2) in 2019. Spatial and temporal changes in phytoplankton Figure 51. HAB sample collection bycommunity structure (biomass and species composition) FAU-HBOI in the St. Lucie Estuary.
and associated physical, chemical and optical water (Image Credit: FAU-HBOI)
quality parameters (salinity, temperature, turbidity, PAR, pH, dissolved oxygen, CDOM,
ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, silicate, water depth, and Secchi depth) are monitored along
an environmental gradient (salinity and nutrients) at 10 sites in the C-44 canal and SLE (Fig. 49).
The samples are collected at outgoing tide on a every two months basis during dry seasons(November-April) and on a monthly basis (and twice a month during intense blooms) during wet
seasons (May-October). Physical and optical water quality data are collected at 0.5 m below thewater surface and above the bottom, and continuously at 1-second intervals throughout the watercolumn with an EXO multiparameter sonde. Phytoplankton communities are collected with an
integrated vertical sampling device from within 1.5-m water column. Samples are preserved onsite with Lugol’s solution (for full community structure analysis under microscope) andglutaraldehyde (for cyanobacteria counts). Samples for nutrient and algal pigment analysis arecollected from the same integrated water samples and stored on ice in a cooler. All lab analysis(nutrients, chlorophyll-a) are done according to standard EPA, FDEP, and SFWMD methods. The
samples for pigment analysis are filtered in the lab, preserved in -80 ºC freezer, and transported to101FAU for algal biomass and community composition analysis with High Pressure Liquid
Chromatography (HPLC). Samples collected are sent to Florida International University for
microscopic analysis of phytoplankton communities with inverse microscopy and cyanobacteria
counts with fluorescence microscopy. Due to the COVID pandemic, the project was temporarily
put on hold. Data are QAed/QCed per FDEP and CERP protocols. The data are available if
approved in-house by SFWMD.
SJRWMD has been Estimating Chlorophyll-a Concentrations from Freely Available
Remotely Sensed Imagery (pp. A217-A220 in Appendix 2) throughout the IRL since 1984.
Multispectral imagery taken by Landsat and Sentinel satellites are downloaded, and regression
models are used to predict concentrations of chlorophyll-a from reflectance values. The
corresponding raster map of chlorophyll-a concentrations can be adjusted/corrected by using datafrom samples of surface water to guide residual kriging. Maps are used in-house for bleeding-edge
visualization of blooms, so they are not QAed/QCed regularly. For hindcasts, predictions arecompared to concentrations of chlorophyll-a in samples of surface water and corrected/adjusted
via residual kriging. Images are available upon request.
6.4.6 Summary of Living Resources Parameters Measured by the One Lagoon Network
In regard to Living Resources, the monitoring methods in the One Lagoon Network are highlyvariable, which is necessitated by the wide diversity of species involved, which often require
unique strategies. To date, there appears to have been limited attempts to integrate the monitoringdata in this category of Vital Signs and, in most cases, to provide feedback to specific management
actions or scientific hypotheses (per Fig. 3). Living Resources interact with and are quite
dependent upon Water Quality and Health Habitats; the monitoring of these three categories of
Vital Signs probably needs better integration to help insure IRL conservation and theirsustainability for future generations. Gaps in monitoring Living Resources will be explored laterin this report (see Section 7.2).

102

7.0 The One Lagoon Monitoring Network: SWOT Analysis
A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis is a strategic planning andmanagement technique that can help an organization identify its internal and external factors thatare favorable and unfavorable to achieving the objectives of the project:• Strengths: Internal attributes and resources that support a successful outcome• Weaknesses: Internal attributes and resources that work against a successful outcome• Opportunities: External factors that can be advantageous to a successful outcome• Threats: External factors that could jeopardize a successful outcome
Below is a SWOT analysis that addresses the One Lagoon Monitoring Network, as described inthis report, regarding IRL stewardship and restoration needs, consistent with the IRLNEP CCMP.
Table 8 provides a summary of this SWOT analysis.
7.1 The One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Strengths
IRLNEP has a strong vision for stewardship and restoration needs of the IRL, which is welldefined in the CCMP (IRLNEP 2019). IRLNEP’s Management Conference provides aframework that facilitates communication and collaboration across the diverse IRL community(citizens, scientists, community leaders, resource managers, and IRL stakeholders). Key to the
CCMP is the IRL Vital Signs wheel that presents 32 Vital Signs for IRL health that align with the"One Lagoon – One Community – One Voice" mission of the IRLNEP (Fig. 2) and which provides
a foundation for developing the One Lagoon Monitoring Network. The One Lagoon Monitoring
Network is working in an integrative approach, with each project and its indicator and measureslinked to the IRL Vital Signs.
Extensive monitoring of IRL water quality, habitats, and living resources is currently inplace. This report documents a total of 66 monitoring projects being conducted by 26
organizations, which were identified as current contributors to the One Lagoon Monitoring
Network (Fig. 4). Those organizations are quite diverse, including six federal agencies, six stateagencies, three counties, four universities, and seven NGOs.
IRL researchers and resource managers have strong capabilities and are committed toapplying them to the stewardship and restoration needs of the IRL. That community ofprofessionals has been steadily growing and adding new expertise that can be applied to the IRL.
For example, all three of the major universities working in the IRL have experienced recent,significant growth in research funding and graduate students (two important ingredients to theacademic research enterprise). Communication and collaboration within the IRL research andmanagement community have been fostered by an increase in local scientific meetings (such as
the Indian River Lagoon Symposium, which has met annually since 2012; for programs andabstracts, see http://www.indianriverlagoon.org/symposium.html), and special sessions at national
meetings.
103

Table 8. One Lagoon Monitoring Network: SWOT Analysis Summary
Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

IRLNEP has a strong vision for
stewardship and restoration needs of the
IRL, which is well-defined in the CCMPCurrent monitoring in the IRL is notalways directly linked to management
needs.

Increased use of both established and21st Century monitoring technologies will
expand the scope, spatial coverage,
frequency, quality, and availability ofdata.

The most serious threat to the
network is the lack of adequate
and sustained long-term
funding.

Extensive monitoring of IRL water
quality, habitats, and living resources iscurrently in place.

The availability of monitoring datacollected by the network is variable.

Climate change is a serious
New partnerships with the private sector
threat to the water quality,
will expand IRL monitoring expertise andhabitats, and living resources ofresources.
the IRL and its monitoring.

IRL researchers and resource managers
There is no central website that lists andGreater coordination and integration ofhave strong capabilities and areprovides links to all IRL monitoring efforts
effort with other NEPs, especially thecommitted to applying them to theand how to get the data, metadata., and other three in Florida, will strengthen IRL
stewardship and restoration needs of theavailable syntheses/analyses
monitoring efforts.
IRL.
The network does not address
integration across connectedwaterbodies and watersheds and its
current components are not structured atsimilar spatiotemporal scales.

Preservation of relevant and available
IRL legacy data will expand baseline
information that may otherwise be lost.

Not all of the IRL Vital Signs areadequately addressed andimprovements in their monitoring can be
made.

Greater involvement of community(citizen) science will increase the humanresource in the network and broaden the
stewardship of the IRL.

There are spatial (geographic) gaps inexisting IRL monitoring.

Greater communication with andtranslation of science to the community
will help garner more support of the workof the IRLNEP.

There are temporal (monitoring
frequency) gaps in existing IRL
monitoring.

104

Table 9. Monitoring and Indicators Matrix for the One Lagoon Monitoring Network

aProgram-specific water quality parameters presented in Tables 5 & 6. bGaps are addressed in more detail at the Category level in Section 7.2.2.

Water Quality Category
Principal Vital
Sign

Impaired Waters& Stormwater

Monitoring
Projects

Responsible
Entity/Entities

Data Collecteda

Collection Frequency,
Location, Starting Year

Sharing/Reporting

Gapsb and Funding Needs

Indian River Lagoon
Observatory
Network ofEnvironmental
Sensors

Florida Atlantic UniversityHarbor Branch
Oceanographic InstitutePhysicalChemical
BiologicalHydrologic
MeteorologicalHourly; Northern, Central &Southern IRL; 2013 (varies
by station)

IRLON data portal andthe SECOORA(Southeast Coastal
Ocean Observing
Regional Association)
data portal

Future funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

Shellfish
Environmental
Assessment Fecal
Coliform Sampling

Florida Department ofAgriculture and Consumer
Services

PhysicalChemical
Biological

Active harvesting areas
sampled monthly, otherwise
quarterly; Mosquito Lagoon,
Banana River, Northern &Central IRL; varies by area

Data available uponrequestGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Surface Water
Trend Monitoring
Network

Florida Department ofEnvironmental Protection

PhysicalChemical
BiologicalMonthly; Halifax River &Southern IRL; 1978 (varies
by station)

WIN/STORET data
portalGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Continuous Bottom
Water Dissolved
Oxygen Monitoring
Network

Florida Institute ofTechnology

Hourly; Northern & Central
IRL; 2019 (varies by station)

Data available uponrequestFuture funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

FOS Citizen
Science Water
Quality Monitoring

Florida Oceanographic
Society

Weekly; Southern IRL; 1998

Weekly data reports
available on FOS
websiteGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

PhysicalChemical
BiologicalHydrologicalSite dependent (monthly orquarterly); Southern IRL;
1973

Riverkeeper online
database

Increase sample frequency ofSite 20; governmental funding,likely to continue in the future

PhysicalChemicalHydrological
MeteorologicalWeekly; Halifax River,
Mosquito Lagoon, Banana
River, Northern, Central &Southern IRL; 2017

LagoonWatch online
database

Future funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

PhysicalChemicalHourly; Mosquito Lagoon;
2005

Data available uponrequestGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

PhysicalChemical
Biological

Every 5 years; Mosquito
Lagoon; 2005

Data available uponrequestIncrease surface water sampling
frequency; governmental
funding, likely to continue in the
futureIndicators and Measures

PhysicalChemical

Total maximum daily loads (TMDLs),basin management action plans(BMAPs), reasonable assurance
plans (RAPs), applicable water
quality criteria including numericnutrient criteria, biological response,stormwater discharge to IRL

PhysicalChemical

Project RiverKeeper Loxahatchee River District

LagoonWatch

Continuous Water
Quality Monitoring
Discrete Water
Quality Monitoring

Marine Resources Council

National Parks Service
Southeast Coast Inventory
and Monitoring Network

105

Water Quality Category (continued)
Principal Vital
Sign

Impaired Waters& Stormwater(continued)

Monitoring
Projects

Responsible
Entity/Entities

Kilroy Water Quality
Monitoring

Data Collecteda

Collection Frequency,
Location, Starting Year

Sharing/Reporting

Gapsb and Funding Needs

Ocean Research &Conservation Association

PhysicalChemical
BiologicalHydrologicalHourly; Banana River,Northern, Central &Southern IRL; 2012/2013

Current data available
on Kilroy data portal,
historical data request
considered on a caseby-case basis

Increase accessibility of historical
data; future funding dependent
upon grants/contracts

Continuous Water
Quality Sampling

Smithsonian Marine
StationPhysicalChemical
Biological

Every 5 minutes; Southern
IRL; 2017

Data available uponrequestFuture funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

Surface Water
Quality Monitoring
for the IRL and St.
Lucie Estuary

South Florida Water
Management District

PhysicalChemical
Biological

IRL – 7 times/year, St. Lucie
Estuary – Monthly; Southern
IRL; 1990

SFWMD’s DBHYDRO
portalIncrease sampling frequency in
IRL; governmental funding, likely
to continue in the future

PhysicalChemical
BiologicalHourly; Mosquito Lagoon,
Banana River, Northern &Central IRL; 2014

WIN/STORET data
portalGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

PhysicalChemical
BiologicalHydrologicalMonthly; Halifax River,
Mosquito Lagoon, Banana
River, Northern & Central
IRL; 1979, 1987, 2019

WIN/STORET data
portalGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Indian River Lagoon
Continuous Water
Quality Monitoring
Indian River Lagoon
Water Quality
Monitoring Network

St. Johns River Water
Management District

Indicators and Measures

Total maximum daily loads (TMDLs),basin management action plans(BMAPs), reasonable assurance
plans (RAPs), applicable water
quality criteria including numericnutrient criteria, biological response,stormwater discharge to IRL

National
Cooperative Water
Program

U.S. Geological Survey

PhysicalChemical
BiologicalHydrological

Every 15 minutes; Southern
IRL; 2017

USGS data portal

Governmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Volusia County
Environmental
Management
ProgramVolusia County

PhysicalChemical
BiologicalHydrological Meteorological

Every other month; Halifax
River, Mosquito Lagoon;
1988 (varies by station)

WIN/STORET data
portalIncrease sampling frequency;
governmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Depth to water, water temperature,
conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen,turbidity, ammonia, total Kjeldahl nitrogen,nitrate/nitrite, total phosphorous,
orthophosphate, fecal coliform, δ15N andδ18O in nitrate isotope analysis

Monthly; Northern & Central
IRL; 2017

Data available after
publication

Future funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

Stage and discharge (where applicable)

Continuous (every 15 to 60
minutes); Halifax River,
Mosquito Lagoon, Norther,
Central & Southern IRL;
1949 (varies by station)

USGS data portal

Governmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Wastewater

Groundwater
Wastewater
Monitoring andModeling

Brevard County

Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP)
at advanced wastewater treatment(AWT) discharge; number of septic
conversions to advanced septic orsewer; biosolids and reclaimed water
nutrient management

Hydrology andHydrodynamics

USGS Cooperative
Water Program

U.S. Geological Survey,
South Florida Water
Management District & St.
Johns River Water
Management District

Surface water volume restored tonatural flow, groundwater andinternal water flows and loads

106Water Quality Category (continued)
Principal Vital
Sign

AtmosphericDeposition

Monitoring
Projects

Responsible
Entity/Entities

St. Johns River Water
Management District &AtmosphericDeposition Sampling Indian River Lagoon National
Estuarine Program

Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of
nitrogen and pollutants

Data Collecteda

Collection Frequency,
Location, Starting Year

Sharing/Reporting

Gapsb and Funding Needs

Precipitation, wind direction, wind speed,
temperature, difference in temperature
Meteorological data are
between sensors at two heights (delta
temperature), relative humidity, solar radiation, continuous. For other data, thewetness, air flow through the filter pack, ozone sampling frequency is weekly,
and the data are mostly
concentration, alkalinity/conductivity, hardness(calculated), dissolved sulfate, pH, dissolved discrete, except for rainfall thatis reported as daily totals;
total phosphorus, dissolved orthophosphate,
Central IRL; 2001
dissolved total Kjeldahl nitrogen, dissolved
ammonium, dissolved nitrate + nitrite, andtotal major and minor metals

Data available uponrequestIncrease number of atmosphericmonitoring stations; future funding
dependent upon grants/contracts

IRL Muck Sampling

Florida Institute ofTechnology

Location, acreage, volume, andnutrient loads/flux of muck

Muck location, thickness, and sediment
composition

Mapping ongoing; Central &Southern IRL; 2014 (varies
by site)Data available uponrequestFuture funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

Estuarine Sediment
Monitoring

National Parks Service
Southeast Coast Inventory
and Monitoring Network

Location, acreage, volume, andnutrient loads/flux of muck; types,
concentrations, and loads ofcontaminants of concern

Sediment organic contaminants, metals,
total organic content, grain size distribution

Every 5 years; Mosquito
Lagoon; 2005

Data available uponrequestGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Location, acreage, volume, andnutrient loads/flux of muck; types,
concentrations, and loads ofcontaminants of concern

Oysters and sediments are monitored for asuite of organic and inorganic chemicals,
antifouling agents, industrial contaminants,
oil and fossil fuel related contaminants andheavy metals. More than 250 contaminantsof emerging concern are being measured
for pharmaceuticals and personal careproducts, flame-retardants, current-use
pesticides, surfactants, and stain repellant
compounds. The bacteria Clostridium
perfringens is measured in sediment as anindicator of sewage waste.

Every other year; Central
IRL;1986

NCCOS data portal

Governmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Location, acreage, volume, andnutrient loads/flux of muck; types,
concentrations, and loads ofcontaminants of concern

Water: Salinity, water temperature, dissolved
oxygen, pH, light attenuation, Secchi depth,chemical analyses include dissolved andparticulate nutrients, chlorophyll-a, microcystins,enterococci levels, total alkalinity.
Sediment: Particle size, organic content,
sediment chemistry, sediment toxicity, andsediment contaminants (pesticides, PAHs, heavy
metals), benthic invertebrate community
identification.
Fish: whole body contaminants analyses,
analysis of muscle tissue for mercury levels.
Benthic invertebrate community identification

Every 5 years; Mosquito
Lagoon, Banana River,Northern, Central &Southern IRL; 2010

Data available uponrequestGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Healthy
Sediments &Contaminants ofEmerging
ConcernMussel Watch
Program

Healthy
Sediments &Contaminants ofEmerging
Concern(continued)

Indicators and Measures

National Coastal
Condition
Assessment
Program

NOAA-National Centers for
Coastal Ocean Science

U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency &Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission

107

Healthy Habitats Category
Principal Vital
Sign

Seagrasses

Monitoring
Projects

Responsible
Entity/Entities

Indicators and Measures

Data Collecteda

Collection Frequency,
Location, Starting Year

Sharing/Reporting

Gapsb and Funding Needs

Long Term Monitoringof Submerged Aquatic
Vegetation in the
Waters Surrounding
Kennedy Space Center

NASA-Kennedy Space
CenterCoverage (acres), density andspecies diversity

Seagrass abundance and composition,
identification and quantification of detritus
and non-attached algal species

Annually; Mosquito Lagoon& Banana River; 1983

Data available uponrequestGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

MarineGEO
Seagrass Habitat
Monitoring

Smithsonian Marine
StationCoverage (acres), density andspecies diversity

Seagrass abundance and composition,shoot counts, macroalgae composition, leaf Annually; Central & Southern
IRL; 2017
characteristics, biofouling load, epifaunalabundance, sediment organic carbon

Data available uponrequestFuture funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

CERP RECOVER
Northern Estuaries
SAV Ecosystem
Assessment

South Florida Water
Management District

Coverage (acres), density andspecies diversity

Total seagrass acreage
Seagrass abundance, composition andcanopy height, drift and attachedmacroalgae cover and abundance

Mapping: every two years,
estuary-wide sampling twicea year (June & November);transects: every other month(June – November);

Data available uponrequestGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Seagrass Mappingand Fixed Transect
Monitoring

South Florida Water
Management District & St.
Johns River Water
Management District

Coverage (acres), density andspecies diversity

Total seagrass acreage
Seagrass abundance, composition, andcanopy height, shoot count, percent coverof drift macroalgae and an index
characterizing its biomass, visuallyestimated epiphyte biomass

Mapping: every two years,
monitoring every 6 months;
Mosquito Lagoon, Banana
River, North, Central &Southern IRL; Maps 1940;
transects 1994

Data available uponrequestIncrease monitoring frequency ofsubset of transects;
governmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission

Reef areal dimension, reef height,
oyster density, tidal emersion, andoyster size-frequency distribution

The summed area of patches of living andnonliving oyster shell or other substratematerial and reef footprint (entire area of thereef complex, including gaps between small
patch reefs); reef height and depth; counts oflive individuals of a particular size within
quadrats; length of time portions of reef areexposed to air at low tide; shell height of asubset of oysters in a quadrat to determine
oyster size-frequency distribution

Annually: Mosquito Lagoon,
Banana River, Central &Southern IRL; 2016

Maps and summary
data available online.

Governmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Oyster Monitoring in
the Northern Estuaries
Florida Fish and Wildlife
on the Southeast andConservation Commission
Southwest Coasts ofFloridaCoverage (acres) in conservation
and/or commercial production

Frequency of live or dead oysters, shell height,
juvenile recruitment rates, disease prevalence
and intensity, and reproductive development,
oyster spat density, histological determinationof reproductive development stage

Every 6 months; Southern
IRL; 2005

Data available after
publication

Governmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Oyster Spat
Monitoring in the St.
Lucie Estuary

Florida Oceanographic
Society

Coverage (acres) in conservation
and/or commercial production

Oyster spat, % cover of barnacles, algae,
and tube worms

Monthly; Southern IRL; 2020

Data available uponrequestFuture funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

MarineGEO Oyster
Reef Monitoring

Smithsonian Marine Station& Florida Department ofEnvironmental ProtectionIRL Aquatic Preserves
ProgramCoverage (acres) in conservation
and/or commercial production

Species composition, bivalve size
Annually; Central & Southernfrequency and density, density of barnacles
IRL; 2017
and sepulids

Data available uponrequestFuture funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

Oyster Integrated
Mapping andMonitoring Program

Filter Feeders

108Healthy Habitats Category (continued)
Principal Vital
Sign

Monitoring
Projects

Responsible
Entity/Entities

National Parks Service
Wetland Surface
Southeast Coast Inventory
Elevation Monitoringand Monitoring Network

Wetlands andImpounded andAltered Marshes

Indicators and Measures

Data Collecteda

Collection Frequency,
Location, Starting Year

Sharing/Reporting

Gapsb and Funding Needs

Acres in conservation, management,
and public use

Surface elevation, accretion/subsidence
rate

Approximately every 2 years;
Mosquito Lagoon; 2015

Data available after
publication

Governmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Land Use/Land
Cover Mapping

South Florida Water
Management District

Acres in conservation, management,
and public use

Areal extent of FLUCCS codes 6420 (saltmarsh) & 6120 (mangrove forest)

Summary data available
Approximately every 5 years;
in South Florida
Southern IRL; 1999
Environmental Report &onlineGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Land Use/Land
Cover Mapping

St. Johns River Water
Management District &South Florida Water
Management District

Acres in conservation, management,
and public use

Areal extent of FLUCCS codes 6420 (saltmarsh) & 6120 (mangrove forest)

Approximately every 5 years; Summary data available
Halifax River, Mosquito Lagoon,in South Florida
Banana River, Northern,
Environmental Report &Central & Southern IRL; 1999
onlineGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Wetland Surface
Elevation Monitoring

St. Johns River Water
Management District

Acres in conservation, management,
and public use

Surface elevation, accretion/subsidence
rate

Approximately every 5 years;
Mosquito Lagoon, Northern
IRL; 2000

Data available uponrequestGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Living Resources Category
Principal Vital
Sign

Monitoring
Projects

Responsible
Entity/Entities

Indian River Lagoon
Biodiversity and the
IRL Species
Inventory Update
Biodiversity

Benthic Infaunal
Monitoring in theSouthern IRL andthe St. Lucie
Estuary
MarineGEO Fouling
Community
Monitoring

Smithsonian Marine
StationIndicators and Measures

Data Collecteda

Collection Frequency,
Location, Starting Year

Sharing/Reporting

Gapsb and Funding Needs

Pelagic and benthic community
diversity, population
status, and trends

Species occurrences within the IRL
system, reports on IRL species andhabitats, special status species and otheraspects of the IRL to assess biodiversity

Continuously gathered;
Mosquito Lagoon, Banana
River, North, Central &Southern IRL; 1990

Indian River Lagoon
Species Inventory
websiteFuture funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

Pelagic and benthic community
diversity, population
status, and trends

Community composition of infauna(including abundance and diversity),
sediment characteristics

Every 3 months; Northern,
Central & Southern IRL;
2005

Data available uponrequestFuture funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

Pelagic and benthic community
diversity, population
status, and trends

Biodiversity of fouling species using
standardized protocols in a variety ofhabitats

Annually; Central IRL; 2017

Data available after
publication

Future funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

109

Living Resources Category
Principal Vital
Sign

Monitoring
Projects

Responsible
Entity/Entities

Indicators and Measures

Indian River Lagoon
Diamondback
Terrapin Sighting
Reporting Program

Brevard Zoo, Florida
Department ofEnvironmental Protection,
and Florida Fish andWildlife Conservation
Commission

Rare, threatened, endangered, andendemic species identification,
population trends, and recovery

FAU HBOI
Stranding andPopulation
Assessment
ProgramSpecies ofConcern

Florida Atlantic UniversityHarbor Branch
Oceanographic InstituteRare, threatened, endangered, andendemic species identification,
population trends, and recovery

Data Collecteda

Collection Frequency,
Location, Starting Year

Sharing/Reporting

Gapsb and Funding Needs

Diamondback terrapin distribution

Dependent on citizen
reporting; Halifax River,
Mosquito Lagoon, Banana
River, Northern, Central&Southern IRL; 2013

Data request consideredon a case-by-case basis

Future funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

Monthly; Central & Southern Data request considered
IRL; 2020
on a case-by-case basis

Future funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

Individual dolphin identification, behavior,foraging, calving and migration

Manatee Project at
HBOI

Rare, threatened, endangered, andendemic species identification,
population trends, and recovery

Numbers of manatees, numbers of calves,
behavioral information, habitat information,and basic weather data are also collectedwith each observation

Florida Department of
Spoil Island Rookery Environmental ProtectionIRL Aquatic Preserves
Monitoring
ProgramRare, threatened, endangered, andendemic species identification,
population trends, and recovery

Florida Manatee
Statewide
Abundance
Monitoring Program

Rare, threatened, endangered, andendemic species identification,
population trends, and recovery

Florida Manatee
Regional
Distribution and
Abundance
Monitoring Program

Florida Horseshoe
Crab Watch

Florida Shorebird
Alliance

Data available uponrequestFuture funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

Monthly boat surveys during
Wading bird and seabird nest attempts andnesting season (February –success, population estimates, habitat use,
September); Banana River &site fidelity
Central IRL; 1999

Data available uponrequestGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Manatee abundanceEvery 5 years; Halifax River,
Mosquito Lagoon, Banana
River, Northern, Central&Southern IRL; 2012

Data available uponrequestGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Manatee distribution and relative
abundance

Aerial surveys on an asneeded basis for adaptive
management needs; Halifax
River, Mosquito Lagoon,
Banana River, Northern,
Central &Southern IRL; 1985

Data available uponrequestGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Rare, threatened, endangered, andendemic species identification,
population trends, and recovery

Water temperatureContinuous water sampling
every 30 minutes (November
1 – March 31); Banana
River, Northern, Central &Southern IRL; 2007

Data available uponrequestGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Rare, threatened, endangered, andendemic species identification,
population trends, and recovery

Horseshoe crab spawning density andenvironmental factors related to spawning
eventsSampling occurs threemonths a year during peak
spawning season (April –June); Mosquito Lagoon,
Banana River, North, Central

Data available uponrequestGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Rare, threatened, endangered, andendemic species identification,
population trends, and recovery

Shore bird population abundance anddistribution

All year; Halifax River,
Mosquito Lagoon, Northern& Central IRL; 2011

Data available uponrequestGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission
Rare, threatened, endangered, andendemic species identification,
population trends, and recovery

Manatee WarmWater Habitat
Temperature
Monitoring Program
Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission

Dependent on student
availability; Central IRL;
2009

110

Living Resources Category
Principal Vital
Sign

Species ofConcern(continued)

Monitoring
Projects

Responsible
Entity/Entities

Indicators and Measures

Data Collecteda

Collection Frequency,
Location, Starting Year

Sharing/Reporting

Gapsb and Funding Needs

Wading Bird
Rookery Monitoring

Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission& Martin County

Rare, threatened, endangered, andendemic species identification,
population trends, and recovery

Wading bird nest attempts and success,population estimates

Monthly surveys; Southern
IRL; 2010

Results are publishedannually in the South
Florida Wading Bird
Report which isavailable online

Governmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Marine Mammal
Research

Hubbs SeaWorld ResearchInstituteRare, threatened, endangered, andendemic species identification,
population trends, and recovery

Atlantic bottlenose dolphin distribution,mortality, survivorship, health, age,
epidemiology, toxicology

Continuous; Halifax River,
Mosquito Lagoon, Banana
River, Northern & Central
IRL;1999

Data available after
publication

Future funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

Otter Spotter
Program

Hubbs SeaWorld ResearchInstituteRare, threatened, endangered, andendemic species identification,
population trends, and recovery

River Otter Distribution, Mortality,
Survivorship, Health, Age, Epidemiology,
Toxicology

Dependent on citizen
reporting; Halifax River,
Mosquito Lagoon, Banana
River, Northern, Central &Southern IRL; 2016

Data available after
publication

Future funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

Rare, threatened, endangered, andendemic species identification,
population trends, and recovery

Distribution and abundance of manatees

Aerial survey twice monthly
during summer months(June – August), once permonth rest of year; Mosquito
Lagoon, Banana River &Northern IRL; 1977

Data available after
publication

Governmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Wading Bird
Foraging Habitat
and Nesting
Success Monitoring

Rare, threatened, endangered, andendemic species identification,
population trends, and recovery

Wading bird foraging habitat use, peak nest
totalsMonthly boat and annual
aerial surveys; Mosquito
Lagoon, Banana River &Northern IRL; 1987

Data available after
publication

Governmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Health Effects andBehavioral Responseof Florida Manatees(Trichechus manatus
latirostris) to Persistent
Algal Bloom and
Associated Loss ofSeagrass Resourcesin Brevard County
FloridaRare, threatened, endangered, andendemic species identification,
population trends, and recovery

Manatee individual identification, locations,body condition and health parameters,
water depth, submerged aquatic vegetation
density and species composition

Discrete sampling every 2-3
week during winter,
continuous telemetry
tracking; Mosquito Lagoon,
Banana River & Northern
IRL; 2011

Data available after
publication

Governmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Rare, threatened, endangered, andendemic species identification,
population trends, and recovery

Sea turtle morphometrics, disease ecology(viral load in blood), genetic diversity(blood/tissue), body condition indices, injuries,
foraging ecology (diet via lavage or stable
isotope analyses), animal movement (via
telemetry, mark recapture), population
demographics (mark recapture analyses)

Twice monthly; Central IRL; Data request considered1982
on a case-by-case basis

Monitoring
Distribution and
Abundance ofManatees in
Kennedy Space
Center Waters

IRL Long-Term InWater Marine Turtle
Monitoring Program

NASA-Kennedy Space
Center

U.S. Geological Survey

University of Central
Florida111

Future funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

Living Resources Category
Principal Vital
Sign

Fisheries

Monitoring
Projects

Responsible
Entity/Entities

Indicators and Measures

Data Collecteda

Collection Frequency,
Location, Starting Year

Sharing/Reporting

Gapsb and Funding Needs

IRL Elasmobranch
Abundance andMovement Ecology

Florida Atlantic UniversityHarbor Branch
Oceanographic InstituteRare, threatened, endangered, andendemic species identification,
population trends, and recovery

Catch per unit effort (CPUE) per species,
general water quality parameters

Varied frequency during
spring and fall seasons;Banana River, Northern,
Central & Southern IRL;
2016

Data request consideredon a case-by-case basis

Future funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

FACT Network

Population status and trends

Passive acoustic telemetry network used todetect presence of tagged marine animals.
Some receivers also record temperature
and ambient noiseContinuous; Mosquito
Lagoon, Banana River,North, Central & Southern
IRL; 2008

Data request consideredon a case-by-case basis

Governmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Fish and Wildlife
Health (Fish Kill
Hotline)Population status and trends

Temporal and spatial fish kill incidences

Event driven; Halifax River,
Mosquito Lagoon, Banana
River, Northern, Central&Southern IRL; 1995

Fishkill website

Governmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission
Fisheries
Dependent
Monitoring

Population status and trends

Fisheries
Independent
Monitoring

Population status and trends

Florida Atlantic UniversityIRL Microalgae andHarbor BranchHarmful Algal Bloom Oceanographic Institute &Monitoring-South Indian River Lagoon National
Estuarine Program

Harmful Algal
Blooms (HABs)

Population status and trends

Summary data available
Characterize the location, gears, and effort
Continuous randomly
upon request,
associated with catch. Additionally, biologicalselected locations; Halifax
recreational fisheries
data is collected, this may include: length,
River, Mosquito Lagoon,
data available on aweight, age structures (otoliths / spines),
Banana River, Northern,case-by-case basis,sex, gonadal condition, gonad samples,Central &Southern IRL; 1997
commercial fisheries
muscle samples, and fin clips
dfid i lMonthly
stratified
randomFish species, fish number, fish length,
Data available upon
bycatch, qualitative measures of seagrass sampling; Mosquito Lagoon,requestBanana River, North, Central
cover, general water quality& Southern IRL

Governmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Phytoplankton and Harmful algal bloom
abundance and taxonomic composition,
general water quality parameters

Twice monthly; Central &Southern IRL; 2019

Data available uponrequestFuture funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

FWC data portal

Governmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Phytoplankton
Monitoring Network data
portalGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission

Annual incidence of toxic and nontoxic HAB events

Harmful algal bloom cell abundance andtaxonomic composition, general water
quality parameters

Routine sampling of station
network may occur atweekly, biweekly, or monthly
frequency dependent on
presence of harmful algal
blooms; Mosquito Lagoon,
Banana River, North, Central& Southern IRL;1953

Phytoplankton
NOAA-National Centers for
Monitoring Network
Coastal Ocean Science

Annual incidence of toxic and nontoxic HAB events

Phytoplankton species composition,
general water quality

Every two weeks; Southern
IRL; 2001

FWC Harmful Algal
Bloom Monitoring
ProgramGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

112

Living Resources Category
Principal Vital
Sign

Harmful Algal
BloomsCollection Frequency,
Location, Starting Year

Monitoring
Projects

Responsible
Entity/Entities

Indicators and Measures

Data Collecteda

C-44 and St. Lucie
Estuary
Phytoplankton
Monitoring

South Florida Water
Management District

Annual incidence of toxic and nontoxic HAB events

Algal biomass, phytoplankton community
composition, cyanobacteria counts, algal
pigment analysis

Indian River Lagoon
Phytoplankton
Bloom Sampling

St. Johns River Water
Management District

Annual incidence of toxic and nontoxic HAB events

Phytoplankton and harmful algal bloom
abundance and taxonomic composition,
general water quality parameters

Event driven; Mosquito
Lagoon, Banana River,Northern & Central IRL;
2005

Data available uponrequestGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

Estimating
Chlorophyll-aConcentrations from
Freely Available
Remotely Sensed
Imagery

St. Johns River Water
Management District

Annual incidence of toxic and nontoxic HAB events

Concentrations of chlorophyll-a estimatedfrom reflected light using regressions

Weekly when weather
permits; Mosquito Lagoon,
Banana River, North, Central& Southern IRL; 1984

Data available uponrequestGovernmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future

IRL Microalgae andHarmful Algal Bloom
Monitoring-North

University of Florida &Indian River Lagoon
National Estuarine
ProgramAnnual incidence of toxic and nontoxic HAB events

Phytoplankton and harmful algal bloom
abundance and taxonomic composition,
general water quality parameters

Twice monthly; Mosquito
Lagoon, Banana River,Northern & Central IRL;
1997

Data request consideredon a case-by-case basis

Future funding dependent upon
grants/contracts

113

Sharing/Reporting

Monthly during rainy season,
Data request consideredbi-monthly during dry
on a case-by-case basis
season; Southern IRL; 2019Gapsb and Funding Needs

Governmental funding, likely tocontinue in the future7.2 The One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Weaknesses and Gaps
7.2.1 Weaknesses
Current monitoring in the IRL is not always directly linked to management needs. An
important criterion for a monitoring network is a strong link to management (see Section 3.3.2,
Fig. 3). Among the 66 monitoring projects in the One Lagoon Monitoring Network, there isconsiderable variability in the strength of that link, which could be increased.
• IRL monitoring efforts with extensive use in IRL management are all long-standing efforts,
conducted by agencies that usually strongly factor in management needs, and sometimes
used for regulatory purposes.
• Monitoring with moderate use in IRL management includes continuous monitoring
programs that began about eight years ago and have greatly enhanced temporalmeasurements of water quality, or programs that provide unique data (i.e., atmosphericdeposition, human pathogens).
• The remaining monitoring efforts tend to more limited in scope, duration, or data
availability or are citizen science projects, which do not appear to be used by resource
managers as often as other monitoring efforts.
• Monitoring should facilitate Integrated Ecosystem Assessment that integrates allcomponents of the IRL, including humans, into the decision-making process so that resource
managers can balance trade-offs and determine what is more likely to achieve their desired
goals.
The availability of monitoring data collected in the network is variable (Tables 10-12). Of the
66 projects, data are readily available (publicly accessible online) for 20 projects, available uponrequest for 39 projects, available after publication for seven projects (this is often the case for dataon marine mammals and may be due to permit requirements), and variable for one project. Some
data collectors are hesitant and/or slow to release data. Delays in granting requests from data
providers who are willing to share their data and, of course, the restricted access to data that areavailable only after publication (which, of course, is an uncertain premise) limits the flow of datafor use in IRL stewardship and restoration. Improved access to data and increased cooperation
among agencies were cited numerous times as needs by the 2020 One Lagoon Workshop
participants. For some projects, making data easier to download into a format (e.g., .csv) foranalysis would be helpful. Ultimately, a one-stop shop would be a great gateway to IRL monitoring
data.
There is no central website that lists and provides links to all IRL monitoring efforts andhow to get the data, metadata, and available syntheses/analyses. This lack makes it harder fordata users to connect with data providers (Hanisak and Adams 2016; Hanisak et al. 2016), thus
limiting data that are available to address stewardship and restoration needs of the IRL andlimiting collaboration and research efforts.

114

Table 10. Data Availability for the One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Water Quality Category. aReal-time data available for online
viewing only.

Impaired Waters &Stormwater

Monitoring Projects

Organizations

Indian River Lagoon Observatory Network ofEnvironmental Sensors

Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch
Oceanographic Institute

Shellfish Environmental Assessment Fecal
Coliform Sampling

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services

Surface Water Trend Monitoring Network

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Continuous Bottom Water Dissolved Oxygen
Monitoring Network

Florida Institute of Technology

X

FOS Citizen Science Water Quality Monitoring

Florida Oceanographic Society

X

Project RiverKeeper

Loxahatchee River District

X

LagoonWatch

Marine Resources Council

X

Continuous Water Quality Monitoring

National Parks Service Southeast Coast Inventory andMonitoring Network

X

Discrete Water Quality Monitoring

National Parks Service Southeast Coast Inventory andMonitoring Network

X

115

X
X
X

Data available
after publication

Data available on
requestPrincipal Vital Sign

Data readily
available (online)

Data Availability

Monitoring Projects

Organizations

Kilroy Water Quality Monitoring

Ocean Research & Conservation Association

Xa

Continuous Water Quality Sampling

Smithsonian Marine Station

X

Surface Water Quality Monitoring for the IRL and
St. Lucie Estuary

South Florida Water Management DistrictX

IRL Water Quality Monitoring Network

St. Johns River Water Management DistrictX

IRL Continuous Water Quality Monitoring

St. Johns River Water Management District

X

National Cooperative Water Program

U.S. Geological Survey

X

Volusia County Environmental Management
ProgramVolusia County

X

Wastewater

Groundwater Wastewater Monitoring and Modeling

Brevard County

Hydrology andHydrodynamics

USGS Cooperative Water Program

AtmosphericDeposition

Atmospheric Deposition Sampling

Impaired Waters &Stormwater (continued)

U.S. Geological Survey, South Florida Water
Management District & St. Johns River Water
Management District
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, St. Johns River
Water Management District & Indian River Lagoon
National Estuarine Program

116

Data available
after publication

Data available on
requestPrincipal Vital Sign

Data readily
available (online)

Data Availability

X
X
X

Healthy Sediments &Contaminants ofEmerging Concern

Monitoring Projects

Organizations

IRL Muck Sampling

Florida Institute of Technology

X

Estuarine Sediment Monitoring

National Parks Service Southeast Coast Inventory andMonitoring Network

X

Mussel Watch Program

NOAA-National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

National Coastal Condition Assessment Program

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency & Florida Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commission

117

X
X

Data available
after publication

Data available on
requestPrincipal Vital Sign

Data readily
available (online)

Data Availability

Table 11. Data Availability for the One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Healthy Habitats Category.

Seagrasses

Filter Feeders

Monitoring Projects

Organizations

Long Term Monitoring of Submerged Aquatic
Vegetation in the Waters Surrounding
Kennedy Space Center

NASA-Kennedy Space Center

X

MarineGEO Seagrass Habitat Monitoring

Smithsonian Marine StationX

CERP RECOVER Northern Estuaries SAV
Ecosystem Assessment

South Florida Water Management District

X

Seagrass Mapping and Fixed Transect
Monitoring

South Florida Water Management District & St.
Johns River Water Management District

X

Oyster Integrated Mapping and Monitoring
ProgramFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

X

Oyster Monitoring in the Northern Estuaries on
the Southeast and Southwest Coasts ofFloridaFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Oyster Spat Monitoring in the St. Lucie Estuary

Florida Oceanographic Society

X

MarineGEO Oyster Reef Monitoring

Smithsonian Marine Station & Florida Departmentof Environmental Protection-IRL Aquatic Preserves
ProgramX

118

Data available
after publication

Data available on
requestPrincipal Vital Sign

Data readily
available (online)

Data Availability

XWetlands and Impounded
and Altered Marshes

Organizations

Land Use/Land Cover Mapping

South Florida Water Management District

X

Land Use/Land Cover Mapping

St. Johns River Water Management District &South Florida Water Management District

X

Wetland Surface Elevation Monitoring

National Parks Service Southeast Coast Inventory
and Monitoring Network

Wetland Surface Elevation Monitoring

St. Johns River Water Management District

119

Data available
after publication

Monitoring Projects

Data available on
requestPrincipal Vital Sign

Data readily
available (online)

Data Availability

X
X

Table 12. Data Availability for the One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Living Resources Category. aData requests considered on acase-by-case basis. bSummary data only. cRecreational fisheries data requests considered on case-by-case basis. dCommercial fisheries
data are confidential. eSome data available online, other requests considered on a case-by-case basis.

Biodiversity

Organizations

Indian River Lagoon Biodiversity and the IRL
Species Inventory Update

Smithsonian Marine Station

Benthic Infaunal Monitoring in the Southern IRL
and the St. Lucie Estuary

Smithsonian Marine Station

MarineGEO Fouling Community Monitoring

Smithsonian Marine Station

Indian River Lagoon Diamondback Terrapin
Sighting Reporting Program
FAU HBOI Stranding and Population
Assessment Program
Species of Concern

Brevard Zoo, Florida Department of Environmental
Protection, and Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission
Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch
Oceanographic Institute

X
X
X
Xa
Xa

Manatee Project at HBOI

Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch
Oceanographic InstituteX

Spoil Island Rookery Monitoring

Florida Department of Environmental ProtectionIRL Aquatic Preserves Program

X

Florida Manatee Regional Distribution and
Abundance Monitoring Program

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

X

Florida Manatee Statewide Abundance
Monitoring Program

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

X

120

Data available
after publication

Monitoring Projects

Data available on
requestPrincipal Vital Sign

Data readily
available (online)

Data Availability

Species of Concern(continued)

Data available after
publication

Data available on
requestPrincipal Vital Sign

Data readily
available (online)

Data Availability

Monitoring Projects

Organizations

Manatee Warm-Water Habitat Temperature
Monitoring Program

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

X

Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

X

Florida Shorebird Alliance

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

X

Marine Mammal Research

Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute

X

Otter Spotter Program

Hubbs SeaWorld Research InstituteX

Wading Bird Rookery Monitoring

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission& Martin County

Monitoring Distribution and Abundance ofManatees in Kennedy Space Center Waters

NASA-Kennedy Space CenterX

Wading Bird Foraging Habitat and Nesting
Success Monitoring Program

NASA-Kennedy Space Center

X

University of Central Florida

Xa

IRL Long-Term In-Water Marine Turtle
Monitoring Program
Health Effects and Behavioral Response of
Florida Manatees (Trichechus manatus
latirostris) to Persistent Algal Bloom and
Associated Loss of Seagrass Resources in
Brevard County, Florida

121

U.S. Geological Survey

X

X

Fisheries

Harmful Algal Blooms(HABs)

Monitoring Projects

Organizations

IRL Elasmobranch Abundance and Movement
Ecology

Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch
Oceanographic Institute

FACT Network

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Xe

Fish and Wildlife Health (Fish Kill Hotline)

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

X

Fisheries Dependent Monitoring

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Xb

Fisheries Independent Monitoring

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

X

IRL Microalgae and Harmful Algal Bloom
Monitoring-South

Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch
Oceanographic Institute & Indian River Lagoon
National Estuarine ProgramX

FWC-FWRI’s Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring
ProgramFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

X

Phytoplankton Monitoring Network

NOAA-National Centers for Coastal Ocean
ScienceX

C-44 and St. Lucie Estuary Phytoplankton
Monitoring

South Florida Water Management DistrictXa

IRL Phytoplankton Bloom Sampling

St. Johns River Water Management District

X

122

Xa
Xe

Xc,d

Data available after
publication

Data available on
requestPrincipal Vital Sign

Data readily
available (online)

Data Availability

Harmful Algal Blooms(HABs, continued)

Monitoring Projects

Organizations

Estimating Chlorophyll-a Concentrations from
Freely Available Remotely Sensed Imagery

St. Johns River Water Management DistrictX

IRL Microalgae and Harmful Algal Bloom
Monitoring-North

University of Florida & Indian River Lagoon
National Estuarine Program

Xa

123

Data available after
publication

Data available on
requestPrincipal Vital Sign

Data readily
available (online)

Data Availability

The network does not address integration across connected waterbodies and watersheds andits current components are not structured at similar spatiotemporal scales. All of Florida’s
surface and groundwaters are connected either directly by natural or man-made connections or
indirectly through the water cycle. Restoring the health of the IRL will require some monitoringof connected waterbodies and watersheds. This need was understood by IRLNEP for the One
Lagoon Monitoring Network, but was deferred to the future. There were numerous comments in
the One Lagoon Workshop surveys stressing the importance of monitoring connected waters andwetlands within the IRL watershed for the health of the Lagoon. Connecting waters, beginningwith the major tributaries, should be incorporated into the network in a subsequent phase.
Furthermore, few of the current monitoring strategies are structured at similar spatiotemporalscales, so analysis of multiple datasets and interactive or synergistic effects is limited.
7.2.2. Gaps
Most of this input is derived from the presentations, surveys (see Appendix 7), and discussions at
the One Lagoon Workshop held in November 2020.
Gaps: Vital Sign Coverage
Not all of the IRL Vital Signs are adequately addressed and improvements in theirmonitoring can be made.
One Lagoon Monitoring: Water Quality• Many participants in the One Lagoon Workshop surveys emphasized the need to increase
real-time continuous water quality monitoring. For example, more real-time salinity data
are needed to study the impact of high freshwater duration on IRL living resources.
• Survey participants also cited several parameters that should be better sampled including
emerging contaminants, bacteria (enterococci), and iron (for its potential to impact HABs).
• There is limited vertical profiling of water quality parameters which is desirable to do atcertain times or locations.
• There is limited use of stable isotopes to determine and monitor sources of nutrients.
• There is limited monitoring of the emerging concern of microplastics.
• There is limited monitoring of flow dynamics.
• There is much variability in the use of different instrumentation, calibrations, detection
limits, and QA/QC protocols for water quality parameters.
• In situ measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence are not always calibrated to actual discretemeasurements of extracted chlorophyll.
• Providing data on the depth of monitoring and depth of the water column is not always
consistent, but should be.
124• One workshop participant noted that “we need to look beyond TMDLs to understand overall
health of the IRL. Estuarine function is more than stormwater loading; there are many
contaminants that are now ignored as current monitoring primarily focuses on TMDL
compliance.” For example, there is a lack of measuring anthropogenic compounds such as
PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and pharmaceuticals in the water, fish, andsediments of the IRL.
One Lagoon Monitoring: Healthy Habitats• Three Vital Signs are not directly addressed in a significant way by current monitoring:
Spoil Islands, Land Conservation, and Connected Waters, although:o Some of this omission is because associated CCMP indicators are not necessarily
measured by a monitoring program, but compiled in a database over time. For example,
the indicator for the Land Conservation Vital Sign is “Acres in conservation,
management, and public use.” The Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) is the central
repository for information on Florida's conservation lands. The FNAI Conservation
Lands database includes boundaries and statistics for >2,500 federal, state, local, andprivate managed areas, and it can be accessed through the Florida’s Conservation Lands
Interactive Map (https://www.fnai.org/webmaps/ConLandsMap/index.html).
o As mentioned elsewhere, the omission of the Connected Waters Vital Signs is largely
due to the initial project area for the One Lagoon Monitoring Network being limited to
the lagoon proper. Currently, there are a lot of data being collected upstream throughout
the IRL watershed.
• While Tier 2 seagrass monitoring is generally conducted twice a year (summer and winter)corresponding to times of abundance, when resources permit it would be desirable toincrease sampling for additional temporal resolution (e.g., by incorporating an additional
survey during the growing season, so that effects of the wet season on seagrass
growth/survival are better documented, or, as SJRWMD was able to do for several years
until a budget cut, by conducting monthly sampling at a subset of stations to bettercharacterize the annual cycle of seagrass growth and abundance).
• Filter Feeders are important functional group, but only oysters are being monitored (notclams or other invertebrates).
• Wetland monitoring needs to be more extensive and not only a large-scale view of acreage,
but also consideration of natural vs. impounded, management, function, and ability toattenuate pollutants.
• Limited monitoring is occurring in unvegetated, soft-bottom habitats which occupy asignificant portion of the IRL’s bottom area.
• Like seagrass, it would be useful to have benchmarks based on historical conditions forother habitat types.
• There is a lack of standardization in monitoring protocols across sites and habitats.
125• Given the significant amount of money being invested in enhancing and restoring habitat in
the IRL, more rigorous, systematic, and long-term monitoring of restoration efforts tounderstand impacts and success is needed.
• Inadequate consideration is being given to monitoring in terms of the landward migrationof habitats resulting from sea level rise and increased hydroperiod (e.g., succession of salt
marsh to mangrove forest).
• There is an incomplete integration of the monitoring being conducted at the three spatial
tiers (Fig. 27).
• Biodiversity monitoring is insufficiently addressed, which is ironic given the well-known
claims about high biodiversity. As mentioned by Hanisak and De Freese (2021):
o Despite pressing environmental issues, there are now less scientists studying IRL
biodiversity, due to limited financial support to maintain basic systematic expertise of
the many plants, animals, and microbes that inhabit the Lagoon.
o The level of training new generations of students in the intervening years has thus
suffered; one could argue that we are less literate on IRL biodiversity than 25 years ago.
o Climate change is an issue that increasingly is becoming a focus of IRL researchers andresource managers and needs to be addressed in terms of IRL biodiversity.
o Parkinson et al. (2021) demonstrate that climate-change risks to IRL biodiversity can beeffectively mitigated by implementing adaptation actions. The authors make the case thatstrong collaboration between local, state, and federal programs and investment ininfrastructure improvements that influence water quality will be necessary to enhance theprobability of success.
o We need to understand better the functional significance of IRL biodiversity and its
effects not only on the IRL biota, but also on IRL ecological functions and the humancommunities who call the Indian River Lagoon region their home.
o Acquiring the necessary knowledge to develop and implement a strategy to protect andmanage regional biodiversity in the IRL will require the coordination, cooperation, andcollaboration of a wide variety of entities ranging from academia to regulatory andmanagement agencies to local governments to individuals residing in the region.
•

The monitoring effort of macroalgae does not match their importance in the IRL (Hanisak2021).
o Drift macroalgae (DMA) are often found in waters deeper than what is included inseagrass transects.
o DMA are very dynamic, contribute substantially to the primary productivity of thelagoon, can serve as both nutrient sources and sinks, and have been implicated as asource of nutrients to fuel HABs in the Northern IRL and Banana River (Hall et al.
2022).

• There is a lack of using measurements of productivity (both primary and secondary) andresilience as indicators of IRL health.
126• There have been insufficient efforts to understand and model the links between healthy
habitats and living resources in the IRL, e.g., the development of habitat suitability index
models.
• Development of an adequate lagoon-wide habitat monitoring program will require an
integrated multi-disciplinary partnership.
One Lagoon Monitoring: Living Resources• There are no programs specifically monitoring Exotics and Invasives in the IRL, although
there are some activities:
o The IRL inventory tracks occurrences of exotics.

o MarineGeo and SMS Benthic Infaunal monitoring include sampling of exotic
invertebrates.
o Resource managers informally monitor presence of exotic plants as part of ongoingexotic eradication/control programs specific to their properties.

o Florida Invasive Species Council (FISC), formerly Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council(FLEPPC), compiles invasive species lists that are revised every two years (the 2019 list
is available at: https://floridainvasivespecies.org/plantlist.cfm). FISC provides resources
for invasive plant management through the exchange of scientific, educational, andtechnical information.
• There are no programs specifically monitoring Climate Ready Estuary in the IRL. Note that:o While the Climate Ready Estuary Vital Sign straddles the Living Resources and One
Community Categories on the Vital Sign Wheel, it is principally part of One Community
as indicated by the color. The two CCMP recommended actions for the Climate Ready
Estuary Vital Sign are 1) Prepare a risk-based vulnerability assessment plan and adaption
plan, and 2) integrating infrastructure resilience into community planning. The CCMP
tables are misleading since Climate Ready Estuaries is only listed in the Living Resources
Category, presumably to avoid duplication. Early in the process of developing this plan,
it was decided by the Steering Committee that Climate Ready Estuary would be
addressed as part of One Community, not One Lagoon. Ultimately, the risk-based
vulnerability assessment plan will identify vulnerabilities and adaptation strategies
which, in turn, will lead to specific monitoring activities.
o The integration of data provided by the One Lagoon Network could be applied to thisVital Sign.
o Climate change is also addressed under “Threats” below.
• Several ecologically important groups of organisms are underrepresented in ongoing
monitoring projects including:o Microbes (bacteria and microalgae) and viruseso Zooplanktono Benthic invertebrates

127• There is a lack of rapid synthesis of data sets on important Living Resources (e.g., dolphins,manatees, and fish) collected by different data collectors.
• There is limited data sharing occurring for the critical Vital Sign of Protected Species.
• In situ monitoring capabilities for HABs and monitoring phytoplankton resting stages in
sediments are limited.
• There are insufficient opportunities for citizen science-based monitoring projects of Living
Resources in the IRL.
Gaps: Spatial/Geographic
There are spatial (geographic) gaps in existing IRL monitoring.
One Lagoon Monitoring: Water Quality• Nearly 85% of participants in the One Lagoon Workshop surveys responded that geographic
coverage was adequate. However, many of these respondents also stated that there is room
for improvement. Specific gaps in coverage identified by participants included;o tributaries to monitor impaired water bodies,o Haulover Canal, ando the area between Fort Pierce and Jensen Beach.

• Additional tributary stations are needed to ensure adequate spatial coverage of impaired
water bodies that drain into the IRL.
• Two parameters that were specifically identified in the workshop surveys as lacking
adequate geographic coverage were bacteriological sampling and PAR.
• There is only one atmospheric deposition monitoring station which severely limits
understanding the status and trends for nutrient loads from atmospheric deposition and theircontributions to nutrient budgets, TMDLs, and water quality.
• Some muck sampling should be done at fixed stations to allow temporal analysis.
One Lagoon Monitoring: Healthy Habitats• Most participants in the One Lagoon Workshop surveys indicated that, while spatial extent
of seagrass sampling is generally adequate, the spatial extent of other habitat monitoring
projects is severely lacking.
• Oyster reefs, coastal wetlands, and clam beds are important habitats requiring much greater
lagoon-wide monitoring.
• Halifax River was identified by the workshop participants as a region lacking in all habitat
monitoring. Cho and Reiter (2020) have recently provided a primer on what data various
researchers are collecting to begin to evaluate the existing status of the Halifax River Urban
Watershed and its drivers.
128

• Monitoring of oysters is focused in the Central and Southern IRL, with heaviest emphasisin the St. Lucie Estuary.
• More shoreline characterization is needed for the southern IRL.
One Lagoon Monitoring: Living Resources• The geographic coverage for monitoring Living Resources is not adequate, with many ofthe monitoring projects limited in spatial coverage that they may not represent the IRL as awhole.
• A better understanding of the linkages that describe the system dynamics of the IRL will
help prioritize which living resources should be monitored.
Gaps: Temporal/Monitoring Frequency
There are temporal (monitoring frequency) gaps in existing IRL monitoring.
One Lagoon Monitoring: Water Quality• While most workshop participants answered that frequency of water quality monitoring was
adequate, many still commented that sampling frequency needs to be increased. Arguments
for increased sample frequency included:o capturing episodic events (e.g., storms),

o calculating daily means and extremes of parameters such as dissolved oxygen,o and better understanding drivers of the system.

• The frequency of data collection needed to be adequate is dependent on the target
organism(s).
• For most programs, monitoring frequency is adequate, but there is the need for increased
frequency in monitoring outside of bloom events for phytoplankton and HABs, which haveshort generation times compared to other Living Resources.
• In looking at historical trends, monthly data may be adequate, but algal blooms require
higher temporal frequencies as hourly and daily trends can have a significant impact.
One Lagoon Monitoring: Healthy Habitats• Aside from seagrass monitoring and the fisheries monitoring surveys, there is a lack of
coordination and standardization of lagoon-wide monitoring frequency (seasons and timestep) across the majority of the IRL.
• Synoptic seagrass surveys 1-2 times per year are adequate; however, much less is known
about the seasonality of the filter feeding populations, as they respond to the wet and dry
season changes in salinity, water depth, temperature, etc.

129

One Lagoon Monitoring: Living Resources• Most workshop participants responded that frequency of data collection for Living
Resources was adequate, with the exception of HABs and phytoplankton, for which more
frequent sampling should occur outside of bloom events.
7.3 The One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Opportunities
Increased use of both established and 21st Century monitoring technologies will expand thescope, spatial coverage, frequency, quality, and availability of data.
There are many opportunities to increase the use of technology in IRL monitoring. In the past
decade, several real-time water quality monitoring programs (see Section 6.2.1 and Figs. 13, 14)
were launched and resulted in large quantities of readily available data. This allowed the
documentation of phenomena that traditional grab sampling does not capture, e.g., diel patterns,
sampling throughout major storms. This approach adds tremendous temporal resolution at specificsites. This trend will likely continue, with additional stations and types of sensors.
Increasingly satellite imagery has been used to monitor the extent and magnitude of phytoplankton
blooms with chlorophyll-a as a proxy for algae (SJRWMD’s project in Section 6.45, and others,e.g., Kamerosky et al. 2015). Satellite imagery, coupled with in-situ data, can also be readily usedin the assessment of other water quality parameters, such as temperature, dissolved organic matter(water color), turbidity (suspended solids), and sediment plumes. What about satellite imagery toquantify larger organisms, especially when coupled with automated image processing? Imagine
have a satellite-based count of manatee and dolphin in the IRL every day. Such an approach would
also be useful in some areas for sharks, alligators, sportfish, and rays. Coupling the more traditional
sampling that currently dominates the One Lagoon Monitoring Network would provide anextensive capability for using satellite imagery over broad areas of the IRL.
Acquiring satellite imagery is now much more affordable. For example, low or no-cost access tocommercial high-resolution satellite imagery is available through the NextView license agreement(https://cad4nasa.gsfc.nasa.gov/DOC/NextView_License_Information_Paper_20170503.pdf). During
2020, the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) acquired complete low-tide imagery over Chesapeake
Bay that was timed to capture SAV at maximum biomass and was able to map most of that estuary(Wilcox et al. 2021). The CBP also hopes to develop artificial intelligence (AI) machine learningalgorithms to facilitate the production of seagrass maps. Utilizing high-resolution satellite imagery
could readily be applied to IRL seagrass monitoring, which likely would extend significantly thegeographic extent and sampling frequency in a very cost-effective manner moving forward. This
monitoring approach could also be extended to other IRL habitats.
Uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs, commonly referred to as “drones”) are quite likely to be used
more in IRL monitoring programs soon. Lightweight drones and consumer grade cameras can
produce very high spatial resolution (∼4 mm pixel−1) mosaics of seagrass beds and other habitats(e.g., Duffy et al. 2018). A recent analysis by Kandrot et al. (2021) identified applications of UAV
technology with practical applications to integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) andsustainable development at the coast. UAVs can deliver such data on-demand over larger areas130

than are practicable using ground surveys and at a higher spatial and temporal resolution thansatellite-derived data. Those authors concluded that the extent to which UAV can contribute tothese activities remains underexplored and awareness of how UAVs can contribute to ICZM, aswell as the limitations of the technology, can help coastal practitioners to evaluate their options for
future management activities. One hurdle is that large portions of the IRL especially in BrevardCounty are in no drone fly zones, such as around civil airports (Merritt Island, Titusville, New
Smyrna), Military Patrick Air Force Base, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Merritt Island
National Wildlife Refuge, and Canaveral National Seashore, KSC in the Northern Banana Riverand Mosquito Lagoon, which would require exemptions from the appropriate agencies.
The use of automation to study organisms in their natural environment, including theirbiodiversity, is clearly on the horizon (Keitt and Abelson 2021). Several technological trends(miniaturization of technology, advancements in wireless communications, and machine-learning
tools) are shaping the emergence of large-scale sensor networks. “Ecologists could leverage thesedevelopments to create automated sensing networks at scales previously unimaginable” (Keitt andAbelson 2021). Examples of emerging technology being applied to the IRL include the use of flow
cytometry and holography to characterize plankton populations (Schaefer et al. 2019). Significant
achievements on this technology could be made by 2030 in the One Lagoon Monitoring Networkby collaborations among its university scientists and engineers with the private sector.
Another emerging and novel method for monitoring biodiversity is environmental DNA (eDNA)
metabarcoding, wherein samples are taken from the environment via water, sediment, or air fromwhich DNA is extracted, and then amplified using general or universal primers in polymerase
chain reaction and sequenced using next-generation sequencing (Ruppert et al. 2019). From these
data, species presence can be determined, and overall biodiversity assessed. For example, eDNA
can contribute to stock assessments that are critical to inform decisions for sustainable fisheries
management. eDNA may be particularly useful to document the presence of rare species, such as
what FWC recently did with sawfish in the IRL. eDNA would also be useful for identifying otherrare or patchy species, such as diamondback terrapins, and to detect invasion of non-native species
like lionfish. As an emerging monitoring method, there are still many challenges to the applicationof eDNA. Currently, there are pilot studies on the use of eDNA being conducted by all three of the
major universities in the One Lagoon Network.
Another example of what may become more of a reality in the next 10 years is the use of megafauna
as sensor platforms. The development of a range of small, reliable data-loggers and transmittersthat can record horizontal and vertical movements, physiology, and reproductive biology has led
to many new, amazing insights into the ecology of taxa ranging from insects to whales (Hays etal. 2016). Animal-based platforms are increasingly being loaded with environmental sensors andmay significantly extend the ability to monitor in estuaries such as the IRL. Dr. Matt Ajemian(FAU Harbor Branch) is currently leading a large project funded by Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA) that is looking at groupers as persistent aquatic living sensors.
Passive acoustic monitoring can provide insight on reference, impacted, and recoveringsoundscapes as proxy for biological community health as outlined recently by National Estuarine
Research Reserve System Science Collaborative (Biggs et al. 2021). In the IRL, passive acoustic
131monitoring has been used as a research tool (e.g., Gilmore 2002 with spotted seatrout), but has notbeen incorporated into widespread systematic monitoring. Mapping the distribution of red drum
and potentially dolphins would be a priority for such an approach. This same tool could be used tomonitor anthropogenic sound or human-generated noise associated with boating. Boating impacts
have been reported on a range of IRL living resources, including marine mammals (Gomez andMoore 2021) and oyster reefs (Walters et al. 2021).
None of these emerging technologies will be used in isolation from other monitoring approaches.
As noted by Schaefer et al. 2019, “due to the complex biological, chemical and physicalinteractions associated with IRL HABs, the integration of classical observing methodology, suchas phytoplankton surveys, with real-time water quality monitoring, innovative technology, andbiological sentinels, is essential.”
To address issues with sharing of data, one approach that gives greater recognition to the data
providers is the greater use of Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs). Minting a DOI provides apermanent and persistent link to a digital object. If the digital object's URL location on the webchanges, the DOI link is updated to the new resolving URL. Datasets with DOIs enable consistentand correct citation by others which ensures the impact of the data is measured. A DOI ensures
discovery, access, and citation tracking and metrics. These measures are all important toorganizations and to the professionals providing the data who can track the use of their data via
publication and citation. The One Lagoon Monitoring Network could develop protocols for
assigning DOIs to “trusted” data sets (fully QAed/QCed data with appropriate metadata) fromcontributing data providers. Ideally a DOI would be automatically minted whenever a dataset ispublished on a One Lagoon Monitoring Network data portal. For example, DataCite(https://datacite.org/) is a global non-profit organization that provides DOIs for research data andall other research outputs. All research organizations can join DataCite to start registering DOIs.
New partnerships with the private sector will expand IRL monitoring expertise andresources.
As mentioned above, the engagement of the private sector with the One Lagoon Monitoring
Network would yield significant benefits. This thought is consistent with the Science andTechnology Innovation Vital Sign (Fig. 2) in the ONE VOICE mission presented in IRLNEP’s
CCMP (IRLNEP 2019). Given the location of the IRL along the Space Coast in the north with allof its links to the high-tech space and aeronautic industries and the Research Coast in the south (aname that has been used as an alternate for the Treasure Coast, and the basis for a partnership ofresearch and educational organizations with the St. Lucie County Economic Development
Council), a concerted effort to engage with the private sector should be a high priority for the One
Lagoon Monitoring Network.
Greater coordination and integration of effort with other NEPs, especially the other three in
Florida, will strengthen IRL monitoring efforts.
The issues and management needs that triggered the development of the One Lagoon Monitoring
Network are not unique to the IRL. The IRLNEP is one of the 28 NEPs throughout the country132and one of the four NEPs in Florida. Greater coordination and integration of effort with the otherthree Florida NEPs (Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, and Coastal & Heartland) would allow a broader
perspective and more opportunities for collaboration and better use of limited resources. One
successful example of this approach was the collaborative workshop Florida Macroalgae:
Knowledge Gaps and How We Can Fill Them, which was planned and executed by representativesof the four Florida NEPs, as well as the SJRWMD, the Southwest Florida Water Management
District, and Florida Sea Grant. A similar, collaborative approach might be employed to help
address challenges in monitoring Florida estuaries (e.g., what are the appropriate metrics forbiodiversity?).
Preservation of relevant and available IRL legacy data will expand baseline information that
may otherwise be lost.
One criterion for inclusion in the One Lagoon Monitoring Network was that monitoring must be
active. Legacy data remain highly valuable, but they were beyond the scope and do not fulfill therole of this plan. Preservation of relevant and available IRL legacy data will expand baseline
information that may otherwise be lost. This effort should also include the compilation andcentralized storage of gray literature, which includes local- and state-funded projects over the
decades.
Greater involvement of community (citizen) science will increase the human resource in the
network and broaden the stewardship of the IRL.
Community (citizen) science is an opportunity for the public to participate voluntarily in thescientific process and address real-world problems, such as those faced by the IRL. Several
existing citizen scientist IRL monitoring projects were identified in this report, but there issignificantly more capacity and need to expand those opportunities. One major challenge to suchprograms is data quality. To facilitate better participation and data quality in citizen scientist
projects, the EPA has created a Quality Assurance Handbook, to be used with accompanying
templates and examples for citizen science. See: https://www.epa.gov/citizen-science/qualityassurance-handbook-and-guidance-documents-citizen-science-projects
Greater communication with and translation of science to the community will help garnermore support of the work of the IRLNEP.
A corollary of increasing community (citizen) science is the need to improve communication with,and translation of, science to the community, as well-defined in IRLNEP’s 2022 Communication
Plan (https://onelagoon.org/wp-content/uploads/Draft-CommPlan_3-Final-Draft-to-EPA.pdf). In
fall 2022, the IRLNEP addressed this need with the addition of three new staff who will workthroughout the IRL region. As summarized in the communications plan, this action “will enhance
the ability of the IRLNEP to fulfil its role of science-based, collaborative efforts that restore waterand habitat quality to the IRL; develop a well-informed constituency throughout the Lagoon
region; improve the visibility of the program; and enhance its reputation as an honest broker offactual information and policy priorities.”133

7.4 The One Lagoon Monitoring Network: Threats
The most serious threat to the network is the lack of adequate and sustained long-term funding.
Money tends to be available for “shovel-ready projects” that can provide a more tangible benefit
than data. Water quality, other environmental, and biological data collected through IRL
monitoring provide the information required to evaluate what is happening, what needs to change,
and what has changed because of actions. Significant, recurring funding will be required to sustain
the One Lagoon Monitoring Network (see Section 8: Financing the Network: Long-Term
Sustainable Funding).
Climate change is a serious threat to the water quality, habitats, and living resources of the
IRL and its monitoring.
Climate change is rapidly accelerating throughout the world. In estuaries there are many climate
stressors, including changes in annual air and water temperatures, precipitation patterns, intensityof storms, ocean acidification, and sea-level rise. IRLNEP acknowledged that climate change
needs to be considered in the management of the lagoon. Examples from the CCMP (IRLNEP
2019) include:• “Over the next several decades, coastal communities will be challenged to understand andrespond to vulnerabilities of natural resource assets, human-built infrastructure, andtransportation/supply chains associated with climate change and sea level rise.” (p. 10)• “climate change and sea level rise impacts will further alter hydrologic functions throughout
the IRL and its watershed in complex ways” (p. 35)• “climate change and increasing storm intensity add to the challenge of managing watershed
connectivity” (p. 84)• “Climate change (including sea level rise) and invasive species are causing shifts that may
permanently change IRL biodiversity” (p.88)
In a study funded by IRLNEP, Parkinson et al. (2021) proposed nine adaptation actions to three
climate change stressors: changes in precipitation, increasing storminess, and sea-level rise. IRL
monitoring needs to be able to not only document long-term climate changes on the lagoon’s water
quality, habitats, and living resources, but also serve as a tool to evaluate management actions on
climate change.

1348.0 Financing the Network: Long-Term Sustainable Funding
As mentioned in the previous section, the most serious threat to the One Lagoon Monitoring
Network is the lack of adequate and sustained long-term funding. The IRL CCMP (IRLNEP 2019)
estimated that IRL restoration, monitoring, research, and stewardship will require approximately$5 billion based on several lines of evidence. In November 2021, the IRL Council and IRLNEP
adopted a technical report, Strategies for Financing Indian River Lagoon Restoration and LongTerm Stewardship (IRLNEP 2021), which identified a number of potential pathways to pay forthis critical investment to advance IRL recovery and long-term stewardship. The financial plan
was supported by a technical memorandum (The Balmoral Group 2021) that provided a third-party
review of the IRLNEP financial projections and hypothetical financial scenarios if projects andprograms were implemented over 20 years. The financial report provided a strong rationale formaking this investment in monitoring (p. 45):
Our scientific ability to understand and predict biological and ecological responses torestoration interventions depends heavily on having a robust, comprehensive, and integrated
system for monitoring, mapping, and modeling IRL status and projected response. Although
this report identified $5 billion in investment needs over the next 20 years, it’s impossible topredict accurately how the IRL will ecologically respond to those restoration interventions andhow long it will take to see observe significant changes. The time value of money is an
important financial consideration. The longer we wait, the more damage occurs. The longer
we wait, the more difficult it may become to achieve restoration targets and intended outcomes.
The longer we wait, the more it will cost. Inadequate investments today push those increased
costs to future generations.
Hence, while the financial resources needed for the One Lagoon Monitoring Network will besignificant and likely difficult to quantify precisely, it is clear that sustaining the monitoring
network is an essential component of responsible IRL stewardship today and into the future. A
specific financial analysis for the One Lagoon Monitoring Network that identifies existing
financial commitments (one-time and recurring) as well as future needs should be developed. Thatfinancial plan should consider funding needs to address existing gaps in the network and identify
additional reserve funds needed to adequately address emergency response monitoring needs. The
urgency for this action is obvious. Whether one looks only at the increasingly rapid negative trends
in the IRL over the last ten years or at the increased frequency of catastrophic events (e.g.,hurricanes, floods, droughts, wildfires, harmful algal blooms, and wildlife mortality events) with
impacts not only on natural resources but also on humans (lives lost or seriously impacted, loss ofproperty, and other negative financial impacts), it is clear that a comprehensive, integrated, andfinancially secure IRL monitoring network is an ecological, human safety, and economic
imperative.
Funding the One Lagoon Monitoring Network will not be accomplished from a single source, butwill require a multitude of governmental, industry, and philanthropic sources that can beeffectively identified, coordinated and managed. Monitoring programs conducted by state agencies(e.g., FDEP, FWC, SJRWMD, and SFWMD) currently provide the backbone investment fortraditional monitoring in the IRL. At a minimum, their budgets need to increase each year to keep
up with inflation and the cost of goods and services. Appendix A in IRLNEP 2021 identifies a
number of current funding opportunities many of which are applicable to monitoring. Florida’s
135

FY 2020-2021 state budget included significant investments to protect the environment by
allocating $690 million for water quality restoration, including $25 million for projects to restore
the Indian River Lagoon. Additional state funding has become available to monitor and model
HABs. The IRLNEP views the One Lagoon Monitoring Network and its many providers as asystem of information technology infrastructure and essential service providers.
Several current non-governmental organizations are funded though the Florida Legislature bylegislative budget requests (LBRs). Not all of those LBRs are recurring and must be reapproved
each year by the Legislature. For sustainable monitoring, programs need to be ongoing, withrecurring funding. The state could maximize and optimize monitoring efforts by municipalities ifthey were to incentivize these efforts as was done for awarding the 6% allocation reductions for
BMAPs when cities do public education focused on stormwater. There is also significant support
for IRL monitoring provided by the IRL Council and IRLNEP directly from EPA Section 320
Clean Water Act funding and IRL Council contributions pursuant to the 2015 Interlocal
Agreement. Several Specialty License Plates (SLPs), including the IRL SLP, can be used to fund
IRL restoration, education and research. Some plates have restrictions on the use of revenues, but
a collective effort in marketing by the organizations managing the SLPs might increase bothrevenues and stewardship for the IRL. These options should be explored by the IRLNEP.
Estimating the cost of the One Lagoon Monitoring Network was beyond the scope of the current
plan. For example, the cost of current or additional monitoring by the network’s 66 monitoring
partners, as well as plans for sustained funding, were not included in the questionnaire to the data
providers. Gathering that information could be a “next step” in estimating current and projected
costs for the network. Obtaining current monitoring costs may be difficult; for example, many of
the governmental agencies involved have monitoring activities much broader than the IRL, so
teasing out the actual IRL monitoring budgets will be a challenge. Knowing the real costs ofcurrent IRL monitoring will not only demonstrate the considerable commitments already being
made, but also this information can also be used to identify, encourage, leverage, and secure otherinvestments from the private sector or from other philanthropic sources which have been largely
untapped.

1369.0 Priority Action Recommendations for the One Lagoon Monitoring Network – Looking
Ahead to 2030
These priority action recommendations are based on a draft presented at the One Lagoon
Workshop following discussions by the Steering Committee. Each recommendation is supported
by a short synopsis of the findings presented in this report. The outcomes of theserecommendations are also presented within the three CCMP outcome categories:• Short-term (1 – 2 years)• Medium-term (3 – 4 years)• Long-term (5 – 10+ years)
9.1 Priority Action Recommendation 1: One Lagoon Monitoring Network Task Force
Findings: Improved communication, coordination, and collaboration among IRL data providers
will enhance the efficiency and impacts of the monitoring network on IRL health. The current
effort was to assemble a comprehensive monitoring plan for the Indian River Lagoon that identifies
existing assets, gaps in data or analyses, emerging needs and opportunities, and specificrecommendations for action that should lead to an integrated, comprehensive monitoring network
for the IRL. To sustain this effort, there must be a mechanism for continued assessment andintegration of the various projects in the One Lagoon Monitoring Network that is fully linked to
IRLNEP and its CCMP.
Recommendation: Establish a One Lagoon Monitoring Network Task Force to advise the
IRLNEP on implementing monitoring that will support IRLNEP’s vision for stewardshipand restoration needs of the IRL.
9.2 Priority Action Recommendation 2: One Lagoon Monitoring Network Financial Plan
Findings: The most serious threat to the network is the lack of adequate and sustained long-term
funding. Significant, recurring funding will be required to sustain the One Lagoon Monitoring
Network.
Recommendation: Develop a specific financial analysis for the One Lagoon Monitoring Network.
9.3 Priority Action Recommendation 3: Resources
Findings: IRLNEP has a strong vision for stewardship and restoration needs of the IRL, which iswell-defined in the CCMP. Extensive monitoring of IRL water quality, habitats, and living
resources is currently in place. IRL researchers and resource managers have strong capabilities andare committed to applying them to the stewardship and restoration needs of the IRL. New
partnerships with the private sector will expand IRL monitoring expertise and resources. Greater
coordination and integration of effort with other NEPs, especially the other three in Florida, will
also strengthen IRL monitoring efforts. Greater involvement of community (citizen) science will
increase the human resource in the network and broaden the stewardship of the IRL
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Recommendation: Work collaboratively to obtain and deploy resources needed to maintain,
expand, or initiate long-term IRL monitoring programs to meet demands of managing theIRL, with such resources including:• Funding• Communication, coordination, and collaboration among those involved in monitoring• Greater involvement of community (citizen) science) and increased community
awareness of the IRLNEP
9.4 Priority Action Recommendation 4: Gaps in Data
Findings: While there is extensive monitoring of IRL water quality, habitats, and living resources
currently in place, there are numerous gaps in the One Lagoon Monitoring Network identified inthis report (see Section 7.1). Not all of the IRL Vital Signs in the IRLNEP’s CCMP are adequately
addressed and improvements in their monitoring can be made. There are spatial (geographic) gaps
and temporal (monitoring frequency) gaps in existing IRL monitoring. The network does not
currently address integration across connected waterbodies and watersheds; that omission islargely due to the initial project area for the One Lagoon Monitoring Network being limited to thelagoon proper, but is a gap that should be addressed by the proposed One Lagoon Monitoring
Network Task Force. Furthermore, few of the current monitoring strategies are structured at similar
spatiotemporal scales, so analysis of multiple datasets and interactive or synergistic effects islimited.
Recommendation: Work collaboratively to identify and fill gaps in the data needed tosupport management of the IRL, such as:• Gaps in the parameters or metrics monitored as related to the CCMP’s Vital Signs• Gaps in locations monitored that prevent rigorous and reliable insights into theefficacy of management or valuable adaptations• Gaps in the frequency of monitoring that prevent rigorous and reliable insights into
the efficacy of management or valuable adaptations• Gaps in the approach to monitoring, e.g., use of 21st century technology, that reduce
efficiency or effectiveness• Development of a more spatiotemporally integrated monitoring framework to createa platform of integrated data and results• As new monitoring methods evolve, creation of suitable conversion algorithms thatcompare the two old and new methods to ensure that time series are maintained• Development of standard monitoring plan and post-project report templates for
future projects to allow for better comparison of results and evaluation of success1389.5 Priority Action Recommendation 5: Data AccessFindings: The availability of monitoring data collected by the network is variable. Some datacollectors are hesitant and/or slow to release data. Reasons for this delay are complicated and areoften not factored into budgets for individual projects. Delays in granting requests from data
providers who are willing to share their data and restricted access to certain data that are available
only after publication limits the flow of data for use in IRL stewardship and restoration. There isno central website that lists and provides links to all IRL monitoring efforts and how to get thedata, metadata, and available syntheses/analyses. This lack makes it harder for data users toconnect with data providers. Preservation of relevant and available IRL legacy data will expand
baseline information that may otherwise be lost. Ultimately, a one-stop shop would be a great
gateway to IRL monitoring data. IRLNEP is already fostering the concept of improved sharing
data from IRL data providers. These actions include:• The recent hire of a GIS Analyst who is expanding IRLNEP’s program capacity andstakeholder value by delivering lagoon-wide GIS asset mapping to help inform IRL
restoration planning, project development, and decision-making; and• A FDEP-funded project to utilize GeoCollaborate® (https://geocollaborate.com/), an
innovative, collaborative technology platform developed by StormCenter Communications
to unify trusted HAB-related data from IRL data providers to create a unique collaborativeenvironment to enhance data sharing, analysis, decision- making, and communications.
Both of these assets could be more broadly applied to the One Lagoon Monitoring Network.
Connecting the network with the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association
SECOORA (https://secoora.org/), which is the coastal ocean observing system for the Southeast
U.S., one of 11 regional coastal observing systems that comprise the NOAA-led U.S. Integrated
Ocean Observing System (https://ioos.noaa.gov/), should also be considered.
Recommendation: Work collaboratively to design and implement an array of approaches
that provide access to data, analyses, and interpretations that meet the demands of managing
the IRL, such as:• Providing consistent and widespread access to data as they are collected, reviewed,
accepted, analyzed, and interpreted, e.g., a portal with links to active programs
through IRLNEP and appropriate partners• Storing and providing access to maps and relevant metadata related to resources in
the IRL• Storing and providing access to legacy data with relevant metadata• Creating a multilayered, integrated database that can be used to reveal theinteractions of the many data layers (i.e., environmental variables being measured) inspace and time
• Providing a digital library of publications, trend analyses, and presentations

1399.6 Priority Action Recommendation 6: Use of the Data
Findings: The IRLNEP’s CCMP clearly demonstrates the link between IRL monitoring and IRL
management. The One Lagoon Monitoring Network must strongly link to management needs,
which is not currently the case. All information gathered for the current project will be used tosupport another IRLNEP project, the State of the Lagoon Technical Report, led by Applied
Ecology, Inc., a five-year project that will generate a state-of-the-IRL technical report. That reportwill establish a scientific baseline of current IRL knowledge and deliver a synthesis of scientificknowledge to inform IRL restoration and policy.
Recommendation: Work collaboratively to ensure that relevant data are incorporated into
the adaptive management of the IRL, such as:• Evaluating the status of, and any trends in, key parameters relative to agreed metrics• Triggering an appropriate response when data indicate a need
• Evaluating the effects of projects designed to restore the lagoon• Adapting action plans, operations, or monitoring to increase the efficacy of efforts torestore the lagoon and efforts to document progress• Demonstrating accountability by making useful and useable information available tothe public, with due regard for the diversity of targeted audiences
9.7 Outcomes of Priority Action Recommendations
The collective outcomes of the Priority Action Recommendations are presented here within thethree CCMP outcome categories; the number(s) after each bullets refer to the recommendation
number(s) above.
• Short-term (1 – 2 years):o Establishment of a One Lagoon Monitoring Network Task Force to advise IRLNEP on
implementing monitoring that will support IRLNEP’s vision for stewardship andrestoration needs of the IRL (1)o Development of a long-term financial plan to sustain the One Lagoon Monitoring
Network (2)o Evaluation of how best to enhance/fortify the existing capabilities of the One Lagoon
Monitoring Network (3, 4)
o Evaluation of the existing gaps of the network and development of a plan to fill them (3, 4)

o Posting of all GIS maps and ArcGIS shapefiles produced in this project to the IRLNEP
website so they are readily accessible to all (5)o Development of a plan that will allow ready, online access to all One Lagoon Monitoringdata and relevant metadata, including sampling methods, SOPs, QA/QC protocols (5)o Development of a plan to identify and gather important legacy IRL data with relevant
metadata (5)140o Development of protocols and a mechanism for assigning DOIs to “trusted” IRL data sets (5)• Medium-term (3 – 4 years)o Reduction of identified gaps in the network as new resources become available, based on
the priorities established in Years 1 & 2 (3, 4)
o New partnerships with the private sector to expand IRL monitoring expertise andresources (3)o Increased coordination and integration of effort with other NEPs, especially the otherthree in Florida which will also strengthen IRL monitoring efforts (3)o Greater involvement of community (citizen) science which will increase the humanresource in the network and broaden the stewardship of the IRL (3)o Initiation through IRLNEP and appropriate partners of a One Lagoon Monitoring data
portal with links to active programs, their data, and relevant metadata (5)o Incorporation of previously identified important legacy IRL data with relevant metadataon the One Lagoon Monitoring data portal (5)o Initiation and maintenance of a digital library of publications and presentations (5, 6)

o Implementation of assigning DOIs to “trusted” IRL data sets (5)o Identification of trends to track, perform trend analyses, and share results actively withmanagement entities (6)• Long-term (5 – 10+ years)o Every 5 years, a detailed analysis of the network, including identification of what needs
to be changed or improved; success metrics should be linked to indicators and targets foreach vital sign in IRLNEP’s CCMP (3-6)
o Refinement of the network based on those analysis (3-6)

o Consistent and widespread access to data as they are collected, reviewed, and accepted
through the One Lagoon Monitoring data portal (5)o A robust, comprehensive, and integrated system for monitoring the health of the IRL thatwill (1-5):
 provide a comprehensive set of accessible data on conditions and biological resources support the assessment of progress toward consensus targets, including identifying
potential barriers to success and the causes of those barriers;
 facilitate adaptive management of the IRL; be a resource for the research community, resource managers, and the public interested
in understanding management of the IRL; and lead to a healthy lagoon.

14110.0 Acknowledgements
Many people contributed to the One Lagoon Network and this report.
IRLNEP provided funding for this project. More importantly, IRLNEP staff provided both visionand guidance for this effort. Specifically, we thank Dr. Duane De Freese, Executive Director;
Daniel Kolodny, Chief Operating Officer; and Kathy Hill, Deputy Director. They were always
helpful and quick to respond to our questions.
A key component of developing this monitoring plan was guidance from our Steering Committee,
representatives from 15 organizations involved in IRL research and management. Collectively,
these individuals have significant expertise on various aspects of IRL monitoring, while also
representing the geographic regions of the IRL and a diverse assemblage of institutions: academia,
governmental, and NGO. Members of the Steering Committee are: Jeff Beal, Ducks Unlimited;
Katie Bowes, Martin County; J. Cho, Bethune-Cookman University; Derek Cox, Florida Fish andWildlife Conservation Commission; Duane De Freese, Indian River Lagoon National Estuary
Program; Warren Falls, Ocean Research & Conservation Association; Austin Fox, Florida Instituteof Technology; Dennis Hanisak, FAU Harbor Branch; Jenny Hansen, Brevard County; Chuck
Jacoby, St. Johns River Water Management District; Amanda Kahn, South Florida Water
Management District; Valerie Paul, Smithsonian Marine Station; Leesa Souto, Marine Resources
Council; David Sumner, United States Geological Survey; and Linda Walters, University ofCentral Florida. The Steering Committee provided guidance through all phases of the project, fromthe development of a questionnaire, through the planning and execution of a stakeholder workshop,
to the planning, drafting, and review of this report. The Steering Committee had monthly meetingsfrom March to December 2020. The first meeting was done in person; due to the COVID
pandemic, the remaining meetings were all virtual, via Zoom. We quickly adapted to virtual
meetings and found that they were a very efficient use of our time, making participation easierthan in-person meetings that were the standard pre-COVID.
The core information for the description of the network (Section 6), which forms the bulk of thisreport, was based primarily on inputs from the data providers who responded to our One Lagoon
Network questionnaire (see Appendix 2), emails, and telephone calls, and in many cases, tonumerous follow-up queries. The One Lagoon Monitoring Plan would not be possible without
contributions by the following 70 people: Matthew Ajemian, Matthew Anderson, Dennis Apeti,
Irene Arpayoglou, Eric Ault, Lisa Baron, Jennifer Bogdan, Katie Bowes, Dave Breininger, Ron
Brockmeyer, Steve Burton, Traci Castellon, Theresa Cody, Jeffrey Collins, Emily Dark, Kristen
Davis, Niki Desjardin, Chip Deutsch, Melinda Donnelly, Holly Edwards, Rex Ellis, Warren Falls,
Chou Fang, Tammy Foster, Austin Fox, Kirk Fusco, Nathan Gavin, Steve Geiger, Margaret
Guyette, Lauren Hall, Ben Hefner, Berlynna Heres, Katherine Hubbard, Chuck Jacoby, Dean
Janiak, Amanda Kahn, Kristen Kneifl, Margie Lasi, Russell Lowers, Kate Mansfield, Michael
Martinez-Colon, Jennifer Maucher, Penny McDonald, Malcolm McFarland, Jan Miller, Jon
Moore, Lori Morris, Jean Olbert, Annie Page-Karjian, Richard Paperno, Lauren Peacock, Ed
Phlips, Kara Radabaugh, Ashley Reardon, Eric Reyier, Douglas Scheidt, Loraé Simpson, Ali
Simpson, Daniel Slone, Robert Sluka, Eric Starkey, Leesa Souto, Megan Stolen, Yoel Stuart,David Sumner, Holly Sweat, Kathryn Tiling, Chad Truxall, William Vervaeke, Barbara Welch,
Jim Whittington, Laura Yarbro, Kelly Young, Joy Young, and Mike Yustin. Thank you all!
142

Members of the Steering Committee, some of the data providers above, and additional IRL
stakeholders made significant contributions by their active participation at the 2020 One Lagoon
Workshop. A list of the 47 attendees is provided in Appendix 4. Workshop participants provided
inputs to the developing monitoring plan throughout the workshop, most significantly tointeractive surveys and via the workshop’s Zoom chatroom. Those inputs (see Appendix 7) wereused in the later sections of this report, especially in regards to identifying gaps in current IRL
monitoring (Section 7.2.2) and in making the Priority Action Recommendations (Section 9).
Four members of the Steering Committee read the first reviewable drafts of sections of this report:• Chuck Jacoby read Sections 2.0 – 5.0, 6.1, and 6.2. The latter section (One Lagoon Monitoring
Network: Water Quality) was structured along the lines of his presentation at the One Lagoon
Workshop that summarized IRL monitoring addressing the Water Quality Vital Signs.
• Jeff Beal read Sections 2.0 – 5.0, 6.1, and 6.3. The latter section (One Lagoon Monitoring
Network: Healthy Habitats) was structured along the lines of his presentation at the One Lagoon
Workshop that summarized IRL monitoring addressing the Healthy Habitats Vital Signs.
• Derek Cox read Sections 2 – 5, 6.1, and 6.4. The latter section (One Lagoon Monitoring Network:
Living Resources) was structured along the lines of his presentation at the One Lagoon Workshopthat summarized IRL monitoring addressing the Living Resources Vital Signs.
• Duane De Freese read Sections 7 (The One Lagoon Monitoring Network: SWOT Analysis)
and 8 (Financing the Network: Long-Term Sustainable Funding), both of which benefitted
by Duane’s vision and strategic thinking.
The next draft was sent for review to all members of the Steering Committee, all data providers
who submitted questionnaires, all participants of the Data Workshop, and all members of the
IRLNEP Management Council. All comments were addressed by the Project PI with the reviewers.
These reviews were extremely helpful and improved the report before its final submission to
IRLNEP. I thank all of the reviewers for their efforts!
Lastly, I want to thank my wonderful colleague, David Heuberger. Before taking a position in mylab, David had acquired a lot of experience on the IRL and its management. He is well-versed withthe various agencies engaged in IRL research and has a holistic view of the lagoon and its
management. David was our POC for the questionnaires and follow-ups with the community of
IRL data providers, produced all of the GIS maps in this report, and reviewed Sections 2 – 7 before
I revised based on his constructive reviews and sent out to the other reviewers mentioned above. I
never would have undertaken the task of leading this planning project, nor would the report havecome together as well as it has, without knowing David’s skill, dedication to the IRL and its
management, and interest in taking on this assignment. Thank you David!
So, yes, it did take the proverbial village to produce this report, which will hopefully lead to asustainable One Lagoon Monitoring Network, and I thank everyone again for their contributions.
Of course, any errors in the report are all mine!
– MDH, December 19, 2022
143

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12.0 Appendices
Appendix 1 – One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire(Blank) ………………………………….………………………………………... Page A2Appendix 2 – One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaires(One Lagoon Network Participants) ………………...………..………..……..…. Page A7
Appendix 3 – One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaires(Research Projects) ……………………………………………………………. Page A306
Appendix 4 – One Lagoon Workshop Attendees ………..…………………….… Page A376
Appendix 5 – One Lagoon Workshop Meeting Documents ………..…………… Page A378
Appendix 6 – One Lagoon Workshop Surveys (Blank) ………..………………... Page A385
Appendix 7 – One Lagoon Workshop Surveys Summary………..………….…… Page A392

A1

Appendix 1: One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
An important first step for this project was cataloging ongoing monitoring efforts in the IRL for
inclusion in the One Lagoon Monitoring Network. FAU staff, with input and approval by theSteering Committee, developed this IRL Monitoring Questionnaire that was sent to ~120 personnel
involved with current IRL monitoring efforts.

A2

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: __________and Planned End Date: __________

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
A3

f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

A410. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends
A5w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A6

Appendix 2: One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaires(One Lagoon Network Participants)
The questionnaires in this appendix were completed during 2020 by participants of the One Lagoon
Monitoring Network and supplemented with queries by email and phone calls. These efforts
provided the core information for the description of the network (Section 6). This list is organizedalphabetically by organization and monitoring projects/programs. No edits have been made on thequestionnaires. *Questionnaire covers multiple projects. **Multiple questionnaires for this project.
Organizations
Brevard County

Monitoring Projects/Programs

Page #

Groundwater Wastewater Monitoringand Modeling

A1

Brevard Zoo, Florida Department ofIndian River Lagoon Diamondback
Environmental Protection, and Florida Fish
Terrapin Sighting Reporting Programand Wildlife Conservation Commission
Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch FAU HBOI Stranding and Population
Oceanographic Institute
Assessment Program
Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch
Indian River Lagoon Observatory
Oceanographic InstituteNetwork of Environmental Sensors
Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch
IRL Elasmobranch Abundance andOceanographic Institute
Movement Ecology
Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch
Manatee Observation Project at
Oceanographic Institute
HBOI
Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch
IRL Microalgae and Harmful Algal
Oceanographic Institute & Indian River
Bloom Monitoring-South
Lagoon National Estuarine Program
Florida Department of Environmental
Spoil Island Rookery Monitoring
Protection-IRL Aquatic Preserves Program
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
FACT Network
Commission
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Fish and Wildlife Health (Fish Kill
Commission
Hotline)Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Fisheries Dependent Monitoring
Commission
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Fisheries Independent Monitoring
Commission
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch
Commission
Florida Manatee Regional
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Distribution and AbundanceCommission
Monitoring Program
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Florida Manatee Statewide
Commission
Abundance Monitoring Program
A7

A16
A20
A24
A29
A35
A41
A47
A51
A56
A61
A66
A71
A76
A81

Organizations
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission

Monitoring Projects/Programs
FWC Harmful Algal Bloom
Monitoring Program
Manatee Warm-Water Habitat
Temperature Monitoring Program
Oyster Monitoring in the Northern
Estuaries on the Southeast andSouthwest Coasts of Florida

Page #A86
A91
A96

Florida Shorebird Alliance

A101

Florida Institute of Technology

Continuous Bottom Water Dissolved
Oxygen Monitoring Network

A106*

Florida Institute of Technology

IRL Muck Sampling

A106*

Florida Oceanographic Society

FOS Citizen Science Water Quality
Monitoring

A111

Florida Oceanographic Society

Oyster Spat Monitoring

A116

Hubbs SeaWorld Research InstituteMarine Mammal Research

A121

Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute

Otter Spotter Program

A126

Marine Resources Council

LagoonWatch

A131

NASA-Kennedy Space Center

NASA-Kennedy Space Center
NASA-Kennedy Space Center
National Parks Service Southeast CoastInventory and Monitoring Network
National Parks Service Southeast CoastInventory and Monitoring Network
National Parks Service Southeast CoastInventory and Monitoring Network
National Parks Service Southeast CoastInventory and Monitoring Network

Long Term Monitoring of
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in the
Waters Surrounding Kennedy Space
CenterMonitoring Distribution and
Abundance of Manatees in Kennedy
Space Center Waters
Wading Bird Foraging Habitat andNesting Success Monitoring Program
Continuous Water Quality
Monitoring

A137

A142
A148
A152*

Discrete Water Quality Monitoring

A152*

Estuarine Sediment Monitoring

A152*

Wetland Surface Elevation
Monitoring

A157

A8

Organizations
NOAA-National Centers for Coastal
Ocean Science
NOAA-National Centers for Coastal
Ocean Science
Ocean Research & Conservation
Association
Smithsonian Marine Station
Smithsonian Marine Station
Smithsonian Marine Station
Smithsonian Marine Station
Smithsonian Marine Station
Smithsonian Marine Station & Florida
Department of Environmental ProtectionIRL Aquatic Preserves Program
South Florida Water Management District
South Florida Water Management District
South Florida Water Management District
South Florida Water Management District
St. John's River Water Management
District
St. John's River Water Management
District
St. John's River Water Management
District
St. John's River Water Management
District
St. John's River Water Management
District

Monitoring Projects/Programs

Page #

National Mussel Watch Program

A162

Phytoplankton Monitoring Network

A169

Kilroy Water Quality Monitoring

A174

Benthic Infaunal Monitoring in theSouthern IRL and the St. Lucie
Estuary
Indian River Lagoon Biodiversity
and the IRL Species Inventory
UpdateContinuous Water Quality Sampling
MarineGEO Fouling Community
Monitoring
MarineGEO Seagrass Habitat
Monitoring
MarineGEO Oyster Reef Monitoring
C-44 and St. Lucie Estuary
Phytoplankton Monitoring
CERP RECOVER Northern Estuaries
SAV Ecosystem Assessment
Land Use/Land Cover Mapping
Surface Water Quality Monitoring
for the IRL and St. Lucie Estuary
Estimating Chlorophyll-aConcentrations from Freely Available
Remotely Sensed Imagery
Indian River Lagoon Phytoplankton
Bloom Sampling
Indian River Lagoon Surface Water
Continuous Monitoring
Indian River Lagoon Water Quality
Monitoring Network
Wetland Surface Elevation
Monitoring
A9

A179
A184
A189*
A189*
A189*
A189*
A196
A202
A209
A213
A217
A221
A226
A232
A240

Organizations

Monitoring Projects/Programs

Page #

Land Use/Land Cover Mapping

A244

Seagrass Mapping and FixedTransect Monitoring

A248

Atmospheric Deposition Sampling

A257

National Coastal Condition
Assessment Program

A264

U.S. Geological Survey

Manatee Health Effects andBehavioral Response

A269

U.S. Geological Survey

National Cooperative Water Program

A275*

U.S. Geological Survey, South Florida
Water Management District & St. John'sRiver Water Management District

National Cooperative Water Program

A275*

St. John's River Water Management
District & South Florida Water
Management District
St. John's River Water Management
District & South Florida Water
Management District
St. John's River Water Management
District & Indian River Lagoon National
Estuarine Program
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency &Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission

University of Central Florida
University of Florida & Indian River
Lagoon National Estuarine Program
Volusia County

IRL Long-Term In-Water Marine
Turtle Monitoring Program
IRL Microalgae and Harmful Algal
Bloom Monitoring-North
Volusia County Environmental
Management Program

A10

A280
A285
A289**

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire(Revised October 18, 2022)
1. Organization Name: Brevard County
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Virginia Barker
321-633-2016

Virginia.barker@brevardfl.gov

Claudia Listopad
321-499-3336

clistopad@appliedecologyinc.com

Leesa Souto, Ph.D.
321-725-7775
Leesa@mrcirl.org
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Groundwater Wastewater Monitoring & Modeling
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 6/15/2017

and Planned End Date: On-going

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Groundwater monitoring to inform and refine pollution load models, prioritize areas wherewastewater is polluting the lagoon, and evaluate septic tank and wastewater treatment plant
retrofit projects. Samples are collected monthly from 45 groundwater monitoring wells andanalyzed by a NELAC certified lab for ammonia, nitrate, TKN, ortho-p, TP, and fecal
coliforms and by UC Davis for δ15N and δ18O isotopes in NOx.
All monitoring wells are sampled in compliance with FDEP-SOP-001/01; FS2200
Groundwater Sampling. During sampling, field data are collected that included temperature,depth to water (DTW), pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity and one blank and/or
duplicate samples is collected for every 20 analyzed samples (5%) as required by theapproved QAPP. For each well, a 250-mL aliquot is collected in a preserved sampling bottle
and analyzed for ammonia (NH3-N), Total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), and nitrate/nitrite (NOX-N).
An aliquot of 120-mL is collected for fecal coliform analysis and an aliquot of 250-mL iscollected for orthophosphate (ortho-p, PO43-) analysis and every other month, an additional
A11

250-mL sample was collected in an acid-preserved bottle for total phosphorus (TP) analysis.
All samples are placed on ice and taken directly to the lab to meet the fecal coliform 6-hour
hold time. For analysis of δ15N and δ18O isotopes in NOx, an additional 30-mL aliquot iscollected and filtered through a 0.1-micron filter and frozen in preparation for shipping.
Samples that had a minimum nitrate concentration of 0.12 mg/L NOx are packed in dry ice
and mailed to the University of California-Davis isotope lab for δ15N and δ18O in nitrateisotope analysis.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: _____Tributaries_____
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)
A12

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☒Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Ammonia, nitrate, TKN, ortho-p, TP, and fecal coliforms and by UC Davis for δ15N and δ18O
isotopes in NOx, temperature, depth to water (DTW), pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, andturbidity
A13

11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☒Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☒Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☒Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☒Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery
A14x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Monthly
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Blind duplicates and equipment blanks
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Some data can be provided after publication, but site locations are sensitive and protected.
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A15

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
Brevard Zoo
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Ashley Rearden, 321-254-9453; ext.284, arearden@brevardzoo.org
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Indian River Lagoon Diamondback Terrapin Sighting Reporting Program
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 06/2013 and Planned End Date: N/A
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
In partnership with Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Brevard Zoo began collecting diamondback
terrapin sightings in the Indian River Lagoon from the public in 2013. Since that time,
more than 240 sightings have been received guiding research and conservation efforts
for these turtles.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☒Other – Please describe: Sightings accepted from the whole Lagoon
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare? N/A
A16

8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds
A17

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Presence of diamondback terrapins
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)

dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows

and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☒Coverage (acres)o. ☐Density

A18

p. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete; sightings can be reported at any time.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Many of the reports submitted to Brevard Zoo include photos of the individual turtle
seen by a community member; staff are able to review those photos to confirm theturtle is correctly identified as a diamondback terrapin.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Diamondback terrapins are prized in the illegal wildlife trade. Due to the risk of turtle
poaching, Brevard Zoo doesn’t make the sighting data readily available as this includes
the location of individual turtles who have a relatively small home range. The zoo is
willing to share data with researchers on a case by case basis.
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
A19

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire(Note: This is a revised submission, received September 3, 2022)
1. Organization Name: FAU HBOI Stranding and Population Assessment Team
2. Contact Information: Steve Burton, 772.332.9709, sburto10@fau.edu
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: FAU HBOI Stranding and Population Assessment
Program
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: June 2021 and Planned

End Date: No end date

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Under a National Marine Fisheries Letter of Confirmation, our team will be taking dolphin
dorsal fin and body shots with cameras for our IRL dolphin photo ID catalog. These images
are stored on a private server at FAU HBOI and an iCloud server database. We will be using
a YSI meter to collect water parameters such as pH, salinity, DO, water temperature,
conductivity while on surveys.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana River

7. ☒Other – Please describe: Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter inlet including the St. Lucie River.
Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare? In the future
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)☒Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)☒Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)

☐Extreme Even t Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
A20

h.
i.

☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☒Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☒Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program. We collect photos to identify individual
dolphins in the IRL, while documenting the following: behavior, foraging, sexual, calving,migration, habitat and seasonality, etc. We also collect water quality data after each dolphinsighting and at the beginning and end of each survey.
A2111. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☒Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☒Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☒Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identification
A22

y. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency? Our data
will be collected via real time through boat surveys on a monthly basis.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach. Our staff have an SOP detailing our QA/QC procedures of double and triple
checking all dolphin images before adding that animal to our catalog.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities? As a service
department at FAU HBOI, we are willing to share some data and images for collaborations.
However, since a marine mammal permit is needed to do our boat-based surveys on dolphin,
we need to have ownership and keep track of what our data is being used for annual records
and takes. These types of collaborations would be done on a case-by-case basis.
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A23

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Kristen Davis772-242-2321
ksande14@fau.edu
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Indian River Lagoon Observatory Network of Environmental Sensors (IRLON)
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: __5/1/2013__

and Planned End Date: ___N/A____

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
IRLON is an estuarine observation network launched with a single station in 2013 andexpanded into 13 sites in the southern central IRL and St. Lucie estuary. IRLON enables
researchers to track environmental changes in the IRL system; assist resource and planning
managers to make informed decisions; model and correlate environmental data to biological,
chemical, and physical phenomena; and contribute to education and public outreach on the
lagoon. The overall IRLON data quality objective is to obtain data that describe the long-term
ecosystem changes as well as those driven by events such as freshwater discharges, algal
blooms, storms, and droughts within the southern IRL and St. Lucie Estuary.
Continuous, high-resolution (hourly) measurements are made for physical parameters:
temperature, conductivity, depth, turbidity, and current speed and direction; chemicalparameters: chromophoric dissolved organic matter (water color), nitrate, orthophosphate,dissolved oxygen, pH and pCO2 and biological parameters: chlorophyll a fluorescence (anindicator of algal abundance) and phycocyanin and phycoerythrin fluorescence (indicators of
cyanobacteria). The continuous water quality monitoring has an hourly resolution to
sufficiently capture the dynamic interplay between tidal and freshwater influences in a coastal
estuary. Additionally, the locations of the selected IRLON stations provide a broad look at theestuary system and allow for continuation of monitoring to detect ecosystem change.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)

A24e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☒Other – Please describe: __St. Lucie Estuary___
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes; Already submitted to David Heuberger
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☒Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☒Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☒Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☒Stormwaterd. ☒Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrass
A25

i.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☒Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
−Temperature−

Barometric pressure−

Salinity

−

PAR

−

Instrument Depth

−

Rain

−

Dissolved oxygen−

Wind direction−

Current speed and direction−

Wind gust

−

pH

−

Wind speed

−

pCO2

−

Turbidity−

CDOM (water color)−

Nitrate−Phosphate−

Chlorophyll a (blue excitation)−

Chlorophyll a (red excitation)−

Phycocyanin−

Phycoerythrin−

Air humidity−

Air temperature
A26

11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☒Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☒Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☒Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☒Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☒Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identification
A27

y. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Continuous, measure hourly at the top of the hour
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Yes; www.irlon.org
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A28

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Matthew J. Ajemian, Ph.D.
772-242-2730
majemian@fau.edu
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
IRL elasmobranch abundance and movement ecology
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 7/1/2016 and Planned End Date: ???
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
A monitoring program focused on elasmobranchs (i.e., sharks and rays) was initiatedin 2016 with initial goals to characterize species, understand dynamics related toenvironmental covariates, and develop a long-term indices of abundance to track
population changes in the IRL. The primary sampling gears in the survey have included
1) Bottom longline gears used in the NOAA Coastal Shark Population Assessment andNursery (COASTSPAN) program, and 2) multi-panel (4.0-6.0” stretched mesh)monofilament gillnets. Since 2016, the major region of emphasis has been centered
between Sebastian and St. Lucie inlets (including the St. Lucie River); however,additional sampling was extended into the north IRL and Banana River in 2018. Where
possible, gear deployments are standardized with respect to soak time, and a series ofenvironmental measurements are made with a YSI Multi-parameter instrument(Temperature, Salinity, Dissolved Oxygen, Specific Conductivity) and Secchi Disk.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)
A29c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes.
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☒Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern

A30

Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☒Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) per species
Temperature, Salinity, Dissolved Oxygen, Specific Conductivity, Secchi Depth
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient management
A31

i.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☒Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☒Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete. Generally fall and spring.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
All data entry is QA/QC’d by research technicians and/or graduate students.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to be
A32

accessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
We would be willing to share data, depending on its use.
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A33

A34

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Florida Atlantic University, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute &Wilkes Honors College
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address) Jon Moore, 772-643-6868,
jmoore@fau.edu and Susan Richardson, richards@fau.edu
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire foreach of your organization’s monitoring programs) Manatee Project at HBOI
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: _2009________ and Planned End Date: _ongoing____5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Shore-based and drone surveys of manatees at HBOI and Round Island Riverside Park.
Drone surveys will include other sites in the future. Surveys are based on photoidentification of individuals using scar patterns. Shore-based photos are taken using
handheld cameras with polarized filters. Currently about 500 different individuals arerecognized and 120 of those are matched with the USGS Manatee Individual Photoidentification System (MIPS). Numbers of manatees, numbers of calves, behavioral
information, habitat information (for sites away from HBOI ship channel), and basic
weather data are also collected with each observation.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
A35

7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be
willing to share? No
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☒Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☒Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☒Living Shorelines

k. ☒Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

A36m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☒Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed
above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal waterflows and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
A37

Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete and frequency is dependent on student participation.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link,describe briefly, or attach. Matches of manatee individuals with MIPS.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities? Yes
Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A38

A39

A40

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Malcolm McFarland, (772) 242-2234, mmcfarland@fau.edu
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program:Indian River Lagoon Microalgae and Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring – South Stations
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 10/1/2019

and Planned End Date: 9/30/2020

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Surface water samples (500 mL) are collected at 5 pre-determined locations twice permonth. Samples are analyzed for species composition, abundance, biovolume andbiomass using microscopy. In the event of a major HAB event as defined as a transitionin the bloom index indicated by Chlorophyll a and/or cell count, We provide quick andtimely taxonomic identification and cell count data if a HAB is initiating or in progress.
Information about the dominant HAB species composition and abundance will be provided
to the IRLNEP.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☒Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☒Other – Please describe: St. Lucie Estuary
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willingto share? No.
A41

8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☒Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☒Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☒Wastewaterc. ☒Stormwaterd. ☒Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☒Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☒Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☒Connected Waters and Watersheds
A42

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Phytoplankton and Harmful algal bloom abundance and taxonomic composition.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed
above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal waterflows and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)A43

o. ☐Densityp. ☒Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☒Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☒Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete data is collected twice monthly from five locations.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link,describe briefly, or attach.
Data are QA/QC’ed by senior staff who conduct regular reviews of species identifications
and cell counts by examination of recorded digital images and/or preserved material.
Species identifications are based on morphology as described in the published taxonomic
literature.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes.
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology,
focus organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
A44

HAB sample collection in the St. Lucie Estuary.

A45

A collection of microscopic algae (phytoplankton) including some toxic species found in the IRL.

A46

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
FDEP/IRLAP
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Matthew R. Anderson
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Spoil Island Rookery monitoring
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 2010

and Planned End Date: N/A

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Rookeries are monitored monthly for the nesting season from February to September.
Nesting is documented from start (courtship/nest building etc) to finish (chick fledging).
Monitoring is done by 1 staff member only- to minimize observer bias. Data is collected using
binoculars, data sheets and either walking around the island(s) or boating around theisland(s). Density and diversity estimates of avian species- both wading birds and seabirdsis obtained through monitoring techniques. Seasonal nesting success is tracked by following
nesting attempts through the entirety of the nesting season. Temporal/spatial trend data is
obtained and information is used to document importance of spoil islands as critical nesting
and roosting habitat.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☒Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana River
A47

g. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare? Not yet
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)☒Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)f.

g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)i.

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☒Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshes
A48

l.

☒Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☒Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Wading bird and seabird nest attempts and success estimated plotted over time, population
estimates of threatened Florida water bird bird species, habitat use and site fidelity of water
birds in the IRL.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muck
A49

l.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☒Coverage (acres)o. ☒Densityp. ☒Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☒Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☒Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☒Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Continuous, monthly February to September
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Data is entered by volunteer and proofed by avian research lead
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Absolutley- Our data should be dispersed and used widely
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
A50

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
The FACT Network
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Joy Young, Joy.Young@theFACTNetwork.org
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
The FACT Network is a grassroots collaboration that is dedicated to improving theconservation and management of aquatic animals by facilitating data sharing amongst
researchers using acoustic telemetry technology, providing a community for scientists, andbuilding stakeholder partnerships.
The groups within the FACT Network that are currently doing research in the IRL include:
Kennedy Space Center, Harbor Branch, University of Florida, and the FWRI Tequesta Lab.
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: __2008________and Planned End Date: ongoing

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
The monitoring programs differ by organization. However, all programs use passive acoustic
telemetry to detect tagged marine animals. In short, listening devices, called receivers, record
a unique code and datetime stamp from ultrasonic pingers (tags) when the tagged animal
comes within range- usually 500m or less.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
A51

7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
We do have locations of receivers. However, we will need the permission of the researchers
to share the locations. There are privacy concerns, including the possibility of equipment
tampering.
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
These are best guesses. Individual programs may include more vital signs.
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.

☐Filter Feeders
A52

j.

☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☒Forage Fishess. ☒Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Presence data of tagged animals. Some receivers also record temperature and ambient
noise.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Again, this is best guess. Individual programs may be able to answer more fully.
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
A53and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☒Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☒Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Detection data retrieved when the receivers are downloaded- usually every six months.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Researchers using the online data sharing system (aka the FACT Node), have their detection
data run through basic QA QC procedures and matched to registered tags. Detection data
are checked for correct coordinates, whether data are within deployment datetimes, andcorrected for time drift.

A54

14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Project PIs must provide permission to allow access to their data. If granted, we can pushdata to public endpoints through Research Workpsace (www.researchworkspace.com).
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A55

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address):
Theresa Cody
Associate Research Scientist
FL Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
Fish & Wildlife Research Institute100 8th Ave SE
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
TEL (727) 896-8626
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for each of yourorganization’s monitoring programs): Fish and Wildlife Health (FWH)
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 1995 and Planned End Date: N/A
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
FWH documents and monitor fish kills, coordinates event response with partners, and provides
general information about fish kills and disease to the public via the statewide FWC Fish Kill Hotline.
We have long depended on citizen scientists to help track fish kills and monitor aquatic animal
diseases in state waters. Monitoring fish kills around the state allows us to recognize important
epizootics and opportunistically collect biological samples. Our database can be queried online tohelp interested parties determine the status and the historical trends for reported fish disease andmortality events. Since the hotline’s inception, we have received and responded to over 31,400
reports/information requests. The statewide, toll‐free FWC Fish Kill Hotline (1‐800‐636‐0511), ourweb‐based fish kill reporting form (https://public.myfwc.com/FWRI/FishKillReport/Submit.aspx) andthe FWC Reporter App (https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/health/fish-kills-hotline/app/) allow
the public to report aquatic mortality and disease events directly to scientists, who can respond
immediately to their concerns. (hereafter referred to as reports unless otherwise specified).
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused? Reporting is dependent on the
public’s knowledge of the FKH and motivation to report fish kills and disease. Other response efforts
have focused on specific mortality, disease or algal toxin issues (in conjunction with the FWC-FWRI
Harmful Algal Bloom and Marine Mammal groups) over the years, and as appropriate short term
targeted research has been conducted (e.g., saxitoxins in pufferfish; tumors in clams, sea turtles, andfish; manatee unusual mortality event (2013>); brown tide effects, St. Lucie fish lesions). Routine
monitoring for fish health is conducted by FWRI-Fisheries Independent Monitoring group and casesof interest sent to FWH (e.g. tumors in redfin needlefish). All areas in the IRL will be covered on a
response basis.
a. ☒Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)
A56c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing to share?
Statewide monitoring
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.

☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)

☒Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) Vital
Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters

b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
A57

Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds
Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms (in part)

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT) dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows andA58

loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☒Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Event driven
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe briefly,
or attach.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to be accessible tousers in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes
A59

15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus organism,logo) that could be included with your program description.
https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/health/fish-kills-hotline/

A60

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Fish and Wildlife Research Institute/Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Local Contact - Jennifer Bogdan, (321)604-1859, Jennifer.bogdan@myfwc.com
Data Request Contact – Dominique Lazarre, (727)502-4718,
dominique.lazarre@myfwc.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Fisheries Dependent Monitoring/ Marine Recreational Information Program
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: ___1997_____ and Planned End Date: __________
Ongoing
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
The Fisheries-Dependent Monitoring division collects data on more than 200 species offish and invertebrates caught from Florida waters. Fishery-dependent data is collected directlyfrom people who harvest and release aquatic species and is used to monitor catch rates andassess the health of exploited fish and invertebrate populations. The state of Florida collects
statistics from commercial fishers; federal grants provide funds for the collection of statistics
from recreational and for-hire fishers. For-hire fishing includes recreational fishing from charter
vessels, guide boats, and headboats.
The MRIP, a federal survey administered by NMFS, is conducted in coastal states aroundthe country. The survey has two complementary components. The field intercept component
collects catch and harvest data directly from anglers during personal interviews. The
telephone survey component collects information about fishing trips from anglers, including
numbers of anglers in each household contacted and how often they go fishing. Combined,
the two portions of the survey are used to estimate total catch, harvest, and effort in therecreational fishery. This survey has existed in Florida since 1979 and the Fish and Wildlife
Research Institute (FWRI) began conducting field components of the survey in the state in
1997.
A61

6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☒Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
No files8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☒Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

A62e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☒Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Each of the surveys used to monitor Florida’s fisheries collects trip level data to characterize
the location, gears, and effort associated with catch. Additionally, biological data is collected,
this may include: length, weight, age structures (otoliths / spines), sex, gonadal condition,
gonad samples, muscle samples, and fin clips.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteria

A63e. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☒Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete and continuous- random sampling frequency
A64

13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Data for surveys conducted by Fisheries Dependent Monitoring program is reviewed inseveral ways. Initially, field staff edit paperwork after field work to correct obvious errant data.
These data are entered into database entry programs with front-end warnings to prevent
logical errors common to fisheries data. Additionally, state survey data is run throughautomated error-checking programs to further check data.
https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/fishstats/recreational-fisheries/landings/

14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Confidentiality and regulations related to releasing commercial and recreational data differ.
Summarized recreational data can be provided upon request. Some raw data summaries
may be provided, but each data request is considered separately to consider confidentiality
issues. (dominique.lazarre@myfwc.com) For raw commercial data, raw data is confidential
but summarized data may be requested/accessed through online portals(https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/fishstats/commercial-fisheries/landings-in-florida/ and MRIP website).
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A65

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address):
Richard Paperno, Ph.D.
Research Administrator I
FL Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
Fish & Wildlife Research Institute
Indian River Field Laboratory
1220 Prospect Ave, Suite 285
Melbourne Florida 32901
TEL (321) 722-1206
FAX (321) 984-4824

3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs):
Fisheries Independent Monitoring Program
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: March 1990

and Planned End Date: N/A

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Fish and Wildlife ResearchInstitute’s (FWRI) Fisheries-Independent Monitoring (FIM) program is a long-term program
designed to monitor the relative abundance of fishery resources in Florida’s major estuarine,
coastal, and reef systems. The program was developed to: 1) address the critical need for
effective assessment techniques for an array of species and sizes of fishes and selected
invertebrates; 2) provide timely information for use in management plans; and 3) monitor trends
in the relative abundance of taxa in a variety of estuarine and marine systems throughout
Florida.
The FIM program uses a multi-gear approach to collect data on various life history stages offishes and selected invertebrates from a wide variety of habitats. A 21.3-m center bag seine
targeted YOY and juvenile fishes in shallow water (≤1.8 m); a 6.1-m otter trawl targeted YOY,
juvenile, and adult fish in deep water (1.0–7.6 m); a 183-m haul seine targeted sub-adult andadult fish along shorelines in water depths ≤2.5 m. At each station, water temperature (oC),salinity (ppt), pH, and dissolved oxygen (ppm) shall be recorded with a YSI multiprobe
instrument. Comprehensive fish habitat information is recorded at each sampling stationaccording to standardized FIM procedures (see attached procedure manual).

A66

6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

A67

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern

q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Fish species, fish number, fish length. Salinity, temperature, pH, DO. Seagrass species,
and qualitative measures of seagrass cover and bycatch.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☒Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological response

A68

f.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☒Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☒Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removal – we document
exotics presencez. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB events – we document if we aresampling during eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified
12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
DiscreteA69

13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Attached procedure manual includes detailed descriptions of all gear descriptions,field, laboratory, and data management procedures used in our program.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description. These will have to besent in a separate email response due to size limitations.

A70

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Berlynna Heres, 727-642-3157, berlynna.heres@myfwc.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: _2018___

and Planned End Date: _Indefinitely

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch is a horseshoe crab spawning monitoring program sustainedby volunteers. We monitor during peak spawning season, at numerous sites throughout the
IRL. We survey a pre-determined length of beach around the high tide. Volunteers walk thebeach at the high tide and record the number of spawning crabs, they also collect a subset ofthe horseshoe crabs, weight, measure, assess for injuries, and tag them. We use hanging
scales to weight, rulers to measure prosoma width, and an awl to insert the plastic disk tags
into the horseshoe crab. The tags are part of a nationwide mark recapture program toestablish range wide population trends. Any horseshoe crabs that had been previously tagged
are recorded and reported to USFWS. We also record environmental variables such as windspeed, wind direction, water temp, and air temp to model peak spawning times in the IRL.
Unlike the rest of Florida, the IRL population of horseshoe crabs does not reliably spawn
around the highest tide since the IRL is microtidal. We are working to determine whatenvironmental variables prompt spawning in the IRL.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)
A71c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☒Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern

A72

Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☒Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
We measure spawning horseshoe crab density, and environmental factors related tospawning events.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient management
A73

i.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☒Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☒Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☒Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
We collect discrete data, sampling three months a year. We sample at our northern sites daily,
and at our southern sites on three consecutive days, twice per month. We hope to implement
continuous monitoring in the future, but that is funding dependent.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Our data are QA/QC’ed by visual assessment of our site coordinators, and state wide
A74

coordinator, as well as through technological means, such as limited selection options on
digital upload and other fail safes.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes, all our data is available freely by request.
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

Photo Credit: Rosalyn Kilcollins

A75

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Dr. Holly Edwards, 727-560-1634, Holly.Edwards@myfwc.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Florida Manatee Regional Distribution and Abundance
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: June 1985

and Planned End Date: _Indefinite___

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Since 1985 the purpose of manatee “distribution surveys” has been to document seasonalpatterns in manatee spatial distribution and habitat use at the county or larger regional
scale. Typically, aerial surveys have been flown twice per month for one or two years.
Manatee counts (adults and calves), location, and behavior are recorded on maps. These data
have been relied on extensively by managers to identify areas in need of protection (e.g.,watercraft speed zones). A standard flight path is designed to survey areas and habitats
where manatees are known to aggregate or areas of management importance.
Occasionally, the flight path is amended as new information becomes available thatindicates a change to the route is warranted. In these surveys, detection was not taken into
account and the raw number of manatees sighted was reported.
More recently, the methodology of manatee distribution surveys has been modified to allow
statistically sound estimation of abundance and distribution by measuring probability ofavailability and probability of detection, given availability. This survey design follows asimilar flight path as traditional distribution surveys, but it employs a dual observer protocol
in which a front and back seat observer record sightings independently to help estimate
manatee detection along the route. Environmental data recorded on surveys maps are used
as model covariates to help estimate manatee detection in different parts of the route.
Statistical modeling is then used to estimate abundance.
For general methodology and findings from pre-2005 surveys see: Edwards, H.H., and B.B.
Ackerman, eds. 2016. Aerial surveys of manatee distribution in Florida, 1984-2004. Fish andWildlife Research Institute Technical Report TR-1
https://f50006a.eos-intl.net/F50006A/OPAC/Details/Record.aspx?BibCode=MF50006A|1340214|4|309727

A76

6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☒Other – Please describe: Waters in individual counties in the IRL are surveyed.
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwater

A77

d. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Manatee distribution and relative abundance
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological response

A78

f.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identification, population trends,
and recovery
y. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete. Distribution surveys are conducted irregularly, as needed by management.
A79

13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Manatee sighting locations are recorded manually on paper maps generated specifically foreach survey area. After the survey, each sighting is assigned a unique ID number and data
are digitized as points into a GIS shapefile. The location of each sighting point and theassociated attribute information are verified after digitization by cross-referencing all fields
with the original survey maps for accuracy. In addition, we check for logical consistency
across fields and that all data entries only contain allowable values and are in the correct
format. Verified attributes include: observer names and institutional affiliation; survey date,time, and location; species sighted; number of adults; number of calves; total number ofanimals sighted; behavior of the animals; and values for any environmental covariate
recorded, which may include sea state, water visibility, cloud cover and glare.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
FWC logo and photograph attached.
“FWC_Manatee Distribution Surveys_Cessna over Ten Thousand Islands.jpg”

A80

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Dr. Holly Edwards, 727-560-1634, Holly.Edwards@myfwc.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Florida Manatee Statewide Abundance
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 5 Mar 2012

and Planned End Date: _Indefinite___

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
The goal of this monitoring program is to estimate the statewide abundance of the Florida
manatee along with a statistically sound measure of uncertainty around that point estimate.
Week-long aerial surveys are conducted in March or December (depending on weather
conditions and other factors) on the west coast of Florida in one year and on the east coastin the subsequent year. To date we have conducted surveys in 2011 and 2015 on the west
coast and in 2012 and 2016 on the east coast. The survey methodology and analysis aredesigned to account for imperfect detection resulting from manatees that are unavailable(e.g., too deep) to be detected (given water visibility) and manatees that were available but
not sighted by the observers (i.e., perception bias).
Estuaries, rivers, creeks and coastlines from all or part of 26 counties on the west coastand 21 counties on the east coast of Florida are surveyed. We use a stratified random
sampling protocol in which all potential manatee habitat is included in the sampling frame,
and allocated into three survey strata: Stratum 1 -- warm-water aggregation habitats;stratum 2 -- areas deemed likely manatee habitats (based on a bathymetry of less than 3.7
m and the presence of seagrass); and stratum 3 -- habitats less likely to be occupied bymanatees (e.g., deep areas with no seagrass) (Martin et al. 2011, 2015; Dorazio et al.
2013). The study area is further sub-divided using GIS into plots (each ~1.3 km2), which are
randomly selected to be included in the survey. Selected plots are overflown by two
observers in a Cessna 172 fixed-wing aircraft at an altitude of 750 ft and a speed of about
80 kts. Manatees are independently counted during two consecutive passes (each taking
about 2 minutes) around each plot and a third pass is used to reconcile the locations ofgroups across observers. We use a combination of a double-observer protocol, repeatedpasses, and collection of detailed diving behavior data to account for imperfect detection of
A81

animals. We use a multinomial mixture model implemented with a Bayesian approach toestimate detection probabilities associated with each observer. The number of manatees ismodeled by integrating these pieces of information using state-of-the-art Bayesianhierarchical modeling techniques. To estimate abundance, we fit N-mixture models using
the Bayesian approach and Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation methods.

See: https://myfwc.com/research/manatee/research/population-monitoring/abundance/and publications by Martin et al. (2015) and Hostetler et al. (2018)

6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☒Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☒Other – Please describe: Most of the state of Florida, including all of IRL
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
A82

(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Manatee abundance
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
A83

b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identification, population trends,
and recovery
y. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB events
A84

aa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified
12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete. Approximately every 5 years.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Information about survey conditions recorded on data sheets and manatee and environmental
covariate observations recorded on survey maps are entered into an Access database.
Access field validation rules are used to restrict data entries to allowable values and/or
formats. After data entry is complete, Access queries are used to check for missing values
and logical consistency across fields and all fields are cross-referenced and verified withoriginal datasheets for accuracy.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes. But note that the raw data consist of plot-level observations of manatees andenvironmental covariates, which may be difficult for someone unfamiliar with the abundancemodel to readily use.

15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
FWC logo and photograph attached.
“FWC_Manatee Abundance Surveys_D70_2011-01-24_0092.jpg”

A85

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Katherine Hubbard, 727-896-8626, katherine.hubbard@myfwc.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
FWC-FWRI’s Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring Program
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: __1953________

andPlanned

End

Date:

____n/a______
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Our monitoring in the IRL includes HAB monitoring primarily via microscopic analysis ofroutine and event response seawater samples. Sampling effort has varied widely over time,and historically has often been event-driven and focused on Pyrodinium bahamense or
Karenia brevis blooms. Samples are collected by a monitoring network consisting of FWRI
staff and diverse partners including citizen scientists and analyzed by light microscopy at
FWRI. Typically HAB species are enumerated, primarily Karenia spp., Pyrodinium
bahamense, and Pseudo-nitzschia spp., given the potential human health impacts these
species have. Genetic, electron microscopy, and flow cytometric methods are used and/or
developed as needed to respond to events and emergent HABs like Aureoumbra lagunensis.
In the case of fish kills or wildlife mortality events where algae is suspected to be involved asa potential causative factor, we also are involved with response and partner closely with
FWRI’s Fish and Wildlife Health team, FDEP, FDOH, Water Management District staff, andothers. We also partner closely with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services (FDACS) to test seawater and molluscan bivalves related to opening and closing
approved shellfish harvest areas using standardized methods (see http://www.issc.org/nsspguide).
A86

In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
6. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
http://geodata.myfwc.com/datasets/recent-harmful-algal-bloom-hab-events
7. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☒Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

8. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

A87e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☒Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms

9. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Key parameters (most frequently measured) include HAB cell abundance, temperature,salinity, and dissolved oxygen
10. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☒Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☒Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological response

A88

f.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☒Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

11. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discretely sampled sites at weekly to monthly frequency; frequency and spatial resolution may
increase during a bloom
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12. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
We have proofing processes associated with microscopy sample and data entry and data
sharing that necessitates comparison of database values with datasheets by someone not
involved with the original entry. Environmental data consists largely of partner-collected
datastreams, thus QA/QC is tied to data entry/sharing only.
13. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes – access to the monitoring database is described here:
https://myfwc.com/research/redtide/monitoring/database/
14. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A90

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Dr. Chip Deutsch, 352-334-4240, Chip.Deutsch@MyFWC.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Manatee Warm-water Habitat Temperature Monitoring
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 4 Jan 2007

and Planned End Date: _Indefinite _5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
One of the most significant habitat issues facing Florida manatees in coming decades isthe loss or degradation of warm-water refuges within their winter range. Manatees will needto find alternative warm-water habitats such as springs, passive thermal basins (e.g., canals),or human-generated sources. An essential task of FWC’s warm-water habitat research ischaracterizing sites for their ability to provide adequate thermal refuge for manatees duringcold weather. Project objectives are as follows: (1) provide a long-term record of watertemperatures at power plants and other industrial sources to document operational changes
that may affect manatee distribution, behavior and mortality; (2) assess thermal quality andreliability of passive thermal basins to inform future warm-water networks and projections ofcold-related mortality; (3) enhance ongoing or future population, ecological, and behavioral
studies of manatees by providing data on water temperatures and quality of warm-water
habitats; and (4) inform management decisions on manatee warm-water habitat issues.
FWC manatee research staff deploy water temperature data loggers (Onset Computer
Corp., HOBO Pro v2, accurate to ±0.2 ºC) at known and potential warm-water sites in many
areas of the state of Florida, including the Indian River Lagoon. They are also deployed at
nearby ambient sites in order to determine the thermal benefit of the warm-water sites. Dataloggers are deployed in October and removed in April; data are recorded at 30-minuteintervals throughout the winter season (November 1 – March 31). Loggers are deployed atvarious depths in the water column, depending on the site: sediment, bottom (within 0.5 m ofthe bottom), column, and surface (within 0.5 m of the surface); most sites include at least abottom logger.

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6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☒Other – Please describe: _Locations around the state of Florida__
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

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e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Water temperature
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)A93

dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identification, population trends,
and recovery
y. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Continuous: temperature is sampled every 30 minutes.

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13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Temperature data are QA/QC’ed to ensure consistent formatting and to flag gross outliers.
Prior to importing temperature records into a SQL database for archival, data are reviewed
visually and using variance flags to identify potential anomalies and values recorded when theprobe was not in the designated medium (e.g., prior to deployment, after removal, or duringprobe maintenance) are deleted. Visual review consists of comparing plots of observed
temperatures from a given probe to data plots for that site from previous seasons, to plots ofdata from the same site for probes at different depths, and to plots of data from other sources
including nearby water or air temperature probes and tide stations. Variance flags are used
to identify records that differ from neighboring records by more than a threshold value between
1 °C and 4 °C, which is determined for each site based on the expected variability intemperatures at that site.
Where visual inspection of plots or variance flags indicate possible anomalies, data are further
investigated to identify possible causes. For example, tide station and air temperature datafrom a local weather station may be used to identify periods where a surface water probe was
likely exposed to air during a low tide. Field datasheets are also reviewed to identify potential
causes of erroneous data and may indicate if a probe changed geographic location or moved
within the water column across the deployment period or if other conditions such as mud inthe probe casing may affect interpretation of the data. Where there is supporting evidence of
air exposure, probe malfunction (e.g., values outside of the range of the temperature probe),
or other errors in the data, the affected records are flagged using the value “E” in the
SubstrateActual field and a comment is entered in the Comments field to note the reason for
the flag.
After review, data are imported into the SQL database and SQL queries are used to checkthe data for logical consistency with field datasheet information including the start and end
dates of the data files based on the probe deployment and removal times.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes.
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
FWC logo and photograph attached: “FWC_Manatee Warm-water Habitat_Floating Surface
Deployment_EC_IRM_FWC002_2012-12-13_9154.jpg”

A95

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Steve Geiger
727-896-8626
Steve.Geiger@myfwc.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Oyster monitoring in the northern estuaries on the southeast and southwest coasts of Florida
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 2005 and Planned End Date: currently funded through 2023
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Oyster sampling is conducted at multiple stations in the St. Lucie Estuary (SLE) and the
Loxahatchee River Estuary (LRE). Oyster population surveys are conducted twice per year
at all stations by randomly deploying 15 replicate ¼-m2 quadrats on each sampled reef. All
oysters within each quadrat are collected for determination of the total number of live oysters
and the total number of dead oysters with articulated shells. In addition, shell height (SH;maximum linear distance from the umbo to the ventral shell margin) is measured for a
maximum of 10 live oysters per ¼-m2 quadrat.
Monthly measures include monitoring of juvenile recruitment rates, disease prevalence andintensity, and reproductive development. Juvenile recruitment is measured by deploying three
replicate spat monitoring arrays at each station. Each array is comprised of 12 axenic adultoyster shells (5 - 10 cm SH) with a hole drilled in the center. Two lengths of galvanized wire
are strung with 6 shells each, which are then suspended from the arms of a T-shaped PVC
frame. Spat monitoring arrays are deployed for approximately one month. The retrieved shell
strings are returned to the laboratory, where each shell is examined for numbers of oyster
spat with the aid of a magnification lamp or dissecting microscope (maximum magnification,
A96×65).

Prevalence and intensity of Perkinsus marinus (dermo) infection is monitored bycollecting five oysters from each station, returning them to the lab for dissection, and applying
Ray’s fluid thioglycollate media (RFTM) method (Ray 1966). The oyster tissues remaining
after the disease dissections are preserved for histological determination of reproductive
development stage according to a classification scheme modified from the work of Fisher etal. (1996). Monthly water quality sampling is conducted in conjunction with field sampling at
all stations.

Monitored parameters include salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen

concentration, pH, depth and clarity.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
I can more readily share a coordinate list.
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)
A97

i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☒Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
DensityJuvenile recruitment

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Disease
Reproductive Development
Water Quality: temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen concentration, turbidity, pH
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☒Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

A99

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☒Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
The program records discrete (e.g., counts) and continuous (e.g., shell height) data. Most
parameters are recorded monthly. Survey parameters are recorded every six months.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
QAQC protocols attached.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Data that has been QAQC’ed and published can be shared.
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A100

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: FWC
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Jean Olbert, 352-644-3539, Jean.Olbert@myfwc.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs) Florida Shorebird Alliance
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: _2011*_____and Planned End Date: __n/a________*2011 is when the database was developed to ensure cohesive data collection. Data wascollected before this date but was not necessarily collected with a state-wide protocol in mind.
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Shorebird surveys provide important information about when and where shorebirds andseabirds occur in Florida. FSA partners organize and participate in a variety of shorebird andseabird surveys throughout the year. Most surveys are simple and provide a “snapshot” of
how birds are distributed during certain times of the year (for example, breeding season andnon-breeding season). Other surveys are more involved; these include long-term studies to
identify trends in distribution and abundance over time.
Florida Shorebird Alliance (FSA) partners work within an adaptive management framework.
A crucial component to adaptive management is long-term monitoring. Long-term monitoringof nests and colonies enables us to detect changes in the abundance, distribution, and overall
productivity of breeding shorebirds and seabirds over time. Monitoring also allows us to better
understand the effects of various factors (e.g. habitat loss, predators, disease, pollution) on
shorebird and seabird populations. Based on the data received from monitoring, FSA partners
can implement effective management strategies and develop conservation guidelines.
Monitoring may be conducted by walking, driving, boating. Binoculars and scopes are used.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☒Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)
A101

c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
Matthew Anderson is the best point of contact for monitoring locations along the IRL to
make sure this response is correct. Only a small portion of the Halifax River is includedin the surveys.
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes, our data team should be able to supply this information upon request.
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☒Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

The habitat data is minimal (habitat type, wrackline present, etc.). Human use is only recorded
in association with observed disturbance events while surveying.
9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐WastewaterA102

c. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
n/a
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteria

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e. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
The data is collected by partners (agency staff, ngo staff, volunteers) and may be entered
A104

real-time (preferred) or at the end of the season.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Data is QA/QC’ed real time by staff in our data team. There are internal protocol documentsthat help with the training of QA/QC staff. I can request approval to share this information if
needed. A great deal of information (including our protocols) can be found here:
https://public.myfwc.com/crossdoi/shorebirds/index.aspx (on the resources tab).
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
We can respond to data requests.
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A105

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Florida Tech (Florida Institute of Technology)
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Austin Fox, (327) 674-7463, afox@fit.edu
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)(1) Muck Mapping(2) Continuous bottom water Dissolved Oxygen network
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 2014 / 2019 (DO) and Planned End Date: ___Ongoing_____
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Muck mapping (locations, thickness and surface sediment composition). Probing using a 11/4 in diameter, capped PVC pole. The pole has ¼ inch holes drilled every ½ meter along its
length to allow water in and out to maintain roughly neutral buoyancy and the pole is marked
every 1-5 cm. The depth to soft surface sediments is checked using a weighted 20-cm dimeterplastic disc on a graded tape. As new locations are investigated, data is added to a growing
dataset for lagoon wide muck locations, thicknesses and compositions.
DO monitored using Hobo U26 dataloggers in benthic housings. Lab calibration completed
before and after each deployment. We are growing this network and taking on partners to help
expand data collection. All data should be available to the public
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________

A106

7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☒Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☒Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshes
A107

l.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☒Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☒Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☒Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
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Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☒Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Muck locations, thickness and compositions are discrete. DO is continuous by not real-time
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Muck surveys: Data Quality is verified by field calibration and through the use of referencematerials etc. Not 100% what specifically the questions is looking for. Methods???
DO network, Data QA/QCd by lab calibration of sensors before and after calibration,
deviations from expected final calibration accounted for using Hoboware Pro software.
Field data also periotically checked using other data sondes.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Most of the data, yes
A109

15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A110

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Florida Oceanographic Society
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Dr. Kathryn Tiling
772-225-0505 ext. 120
ktiling@floridaocean.org
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Florida Oceanographic’s Citizen Science Water Quality Monitoring Program
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: _1998_______ and Planned End Date:_Ongoing
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Established in 1998, the Florida Oceanographic Society’s Citizen Science Water Quality
Monitoring Program assesses the trends and changes in water quality throughout the St.
Lucie Estuary and the southern Indian River Lagoon. Our volunteer citizen scientists monitor
water quality at assigned sites weekly, measuring water temperature (thermometer), salinity(refractometer), dissolved oxygen (modified Winkler method), pH (phenol red test), andwater clarity (Secchi disk). Our program’s primary goal is to provide long-term data thatcovers both seasonal and temporal trends in our local estuaries. This program allows us toassess impacts on water quality, including the effects of freshwater discharges andstormwater runoff.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☒Other – Please describe: _St. Lucie Estuary_____

A111

7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
N/A
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☒Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

A112

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Air and water temperature, salinity, Secchi depth (with total depth), dissolved oxygen, and pH
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☒Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
A113

Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Data is collected by volunteers on a weekly basis and submitted to the program.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
All data submitted is QA/QC’d by the Water Quality Program Coordinator. In addition,
volunteers are given “blind” fixed samples to test monthly to ensure ongoing accuracy. We
have planned yearly in-person training sessions to refresh all testers on methods to maintainaccuracy.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
We are willing to share data.
A114

15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A115

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Florida Oceanographic Society
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Loraé Simpson, 772-225-0505 Ext 114, lsimpson@floridaocean.org
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs) Oyster Spat Monitoring
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: _June 2020___ and Planned End Date: __n/a___5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
We monitor oyster spat settlement monthly along a salinity gradient in the St. Lucie Estuary(SLE) and the Southern Indian River Lagoon (IRL). Oyster T’s contain two stringers, eachconsisting of seven recycled oyster shells. Four oyster T’s are deployed at fixed positions at
six sites; three sites are in high salinity (IRL) and three are in low salinity (SLE). Arrays are
positioned at a depth so that the oyster shells are within the optimal settlement and growth
depth for oysters at each site. Optimal oyster depth was determined visually at the time of site
establishment based on the density of live oysters present. Shell stringers are swapped out
monthly, and the top and bottom shell from each stringer are excluded from analysis. The
quantity of oyster spat, % cover of barnacles, % cover of algae and % cover of tube worms
are counted and estimated on a per shell basis. This is an expansion and formalization of aprogram that prior to June 2020 collected similar data but on a sporadic basis.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana RiverA116

g. ☒Other – Please describe: St. Lucie Estuary__________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare? We do not have any shapefiles.
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☒Filter Feeders☒Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshes
A117

l.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Monthly Oyster Spat settlement
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants
A118

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☒Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete. Data is sampled on a monthly basis.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Data entered are looked over by another individual to check for inconsistencies.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
A119

Figure 1. Oyster T’s – as pictured above. Clean oyster shells are strung in pairs of sevenshells on a PVC T-bar that allows the shells to hang, suspended in the water column. The
PVC T-bars are made of ½ PVC, and the T is 20 inches long. The shells hang at the sameelevation of live oysters (approximately 35cm above sediment surface) in adjacent reefs
and spat will settle onto them if conditions are favorable. The shells are then taken back to
the lab and the spat is counted.

A120

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Megan Stolen, 3215087950, mstolen@hswri.org
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs) Marine Mammal Research
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: ____1999______

andPlanned

End

Date:

____NA______
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
HSWRI monitors dolphin health and population status in the IRL by investigating strandings
as well as boat-based photoidentification. Our stranding response area covers the areas from
Sebastian Inlet to Flagler county in the ICW. Our surveys cover the Halifax river north to the
Tomoka basin. We document mortality and associated parameters such as mercury levels
and infectious disease. We also monitor behavior along with environmental parameters during
survey.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☒Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare? We do not.
A121

8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☒Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☒Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds
A122

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☒Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program. Mortality and survivorship,
contaminants in a top level predator
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☒Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Density

A123p. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
continuous
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
NA
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Not raw data, published work
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A124

A125

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Megan Stolen, 3215087950, mstolen@hswri.org
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs) Marine Mammal Research
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 2016 and Planned End Date: NA
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
HSWRI studies North American river otters in the lagoon and nearby watershed. We employ
both applied research as well as citizen science monitoring to understand the health andecology of river otters in the area. Animals are monitored using camera traps and sightings
by volunteers. Dead animals are necropsied and examined for health, contaminants,
longevity, etc.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☒Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☒Other – Please describe: _7 county area_________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Not yet.
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
A126

a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☒Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☒Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☒Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity
A127p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Mortality and survivorship, contaminants in a top level predator
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☒Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☒Species diversity
A128

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
continuous
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
NA
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Not raw data, published work
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A129

A130

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Marine Resources Council
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Leesa Souto, Ph.D.
321-725-7775
Leesa@mrcirl.org
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
LagoonWatch
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 2/15/1991

and Planned End Date: On-going

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
LagoonWatch is a quality-assured citizen science program that collects weekly water quality
data across the length and breadth of the lagoon. Surface water samples are collected andanalyzed on site for pH, salinity, and dissolved oxygen. Color matching using Cresol Red isused to determine pH. Salinity is measured by the titration of silver nitrate (Mohr’s method)and dissolved oxygen levels are determined using the modified Winkler method.
Field measurements (air and water temperature, Secchi and total water depth) andobservations (weather, wind direction, and surface water appearance) are taken at time ofsampling. All measurements and observations are recorded into an online data management
system which facilitates sharing of the data both internally and with other organizations asneeded to support restoration and/or remediation efforts lagoonwide.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☒Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana RiverA131

g. ☒Other – Please describe: _____Tributaries_____
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☒Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.) Wind direction is recorded.
e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)

f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)

h. ☒Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type) – Secchi and total water depth aremeasured.

i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☒Wastewaterc. ☒Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.

☐Filter Feeders
A132

j.

☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☒Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☒Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☒Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☒Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☒Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loads
A133k. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Weekly13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Blind duplicates, blanks, and spikes are given to monitors who perform QA analyses on one
parameter (pH, salinity, or DO) monthly and report results back to the LagoonWatch
coordinator. Acceptable results for these QA tests are +/-10% of the actual value.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
A134

Of course
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
LagoonWatch Test Kit:

Two monitoring locations: Turnbull Creek on left; private dock in Cocoa Beach (right)

A135

Example of data graphing using ZiScape™, the online data reporting platform used in
LagoonWatch since 2019.

A136

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Kennedy Space Center2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
NASA POC: Jeff Collins, 321-861-6554, Jeffrey.s.collins@nasa.gov
PI: Douglas Scheidt, 321-861-5912, douglas.m.scheidt@nasa.gov
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Long Term Monitoring of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in the Waters Surrounding Kennedy
Space Center.
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: _____1983__

and Planned End Date: __On-going

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
In 1983, 23 transects were established in KSC waters and were increased to a total of 37
transects by 1986. The KSC transects range from 50 to 200 m and are confined within existing
beds (i.e. not extending the full length of a bed or out to the deeper edges). Most seagrassbeds on KSC have been relatively wide and expansive. Transects were established withpermanent origin and terminal poles with most starting from a landmass while the remaining
transects start and end in open mid bed locations. For each sampling event, a nylon cord ortape measure is temporarily connected between the two poles to delineate the line against
which all subsequent measures are taken. Transects are sampled at every 5 m mark from theorigin point to record species composition, percent cover, frequency of occurrence, water
depth, and basic water quality parameters. Data are collected annually each summer. Percent
cover and species composition is determined using a canopy-coverage technique ofvegetation analysis originally developed for terrestrial systems (Daubenmire 1968). Thismethod employs the use of a rectangular frame with inside dimensions of 20x50 cm andappropriately marked off so that coverage estimates can be quickly made using a series of
six unequal coverage classes. The classes represent ranges 0, 0.1-5% (code 1), 5-25% (code2), 25-50% (code 3), 50-75% (code 4), 75-95% (code 5) and 95-100% (code 6). These
classes then yield the following mid-point density categories; 2.5%, 15%, 37.5%, 62.5%, 85%
and 97.5%. These midpoint values help reduce observer bias during analysis. In addition to
A137

measuring all seagrass species present, we identify and quantify detritus and non-attachedalgal species, keyed to genus or species, all other will be classified as drift algae. Total
seagrass cover is the coverage category determined for the percent cover within the
Daubenmire frame that represents all seagrasses combined. This is determined by physicallyremoving the drift algae and detritus from the frame after those two parameters have beenrecorded. Covariate data such as water depth, salinity, dissolved oxygen, temperature arecollected. All data recorded are proofed by the PI and then entered into the ECO Seagrass
database where it undergoes QA/QC. Data can be accessed via KLTEP, LTSAV Visual Data
Exploration Tool (VDET) or exported into various statistical and graphing packages
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes.
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
A138h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☒Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
A139

Seagrass species composition by density and frequency of occurrence. Drift algae species.
Covariate data such as water depth, salinity, dissolved oxygen, temperature are collected
depth of sample,
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☒Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☒Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☒Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☒Coverage (acres)o. ☒Densityp. ☒Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☒Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population statusA140

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete, annual sampling (summer)
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
All data recorded are proofed by the PI and then entered into the ECO Seagrass database
where it undergoes QA/QC. Data can be accessed via several in-house data tools or exported
into various statistical and graphing packages
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes.
Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A141

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Kennedy Space Center2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
NASA POC: Jeff Collins, 321-861-6554, Jeffrey.s.collins@nasa.gov.
PI: Douglas Scheidt, 321-861-5912, douglas.m.scheidt@nasa.gov
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Monitoring the distribution and abundance of Florida manatees (Trichechus mantatuslatirostris) in the Kennedy Space Center waters using aerial surveys.
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: __1977_____and Planned End Date: __On going___

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Systematic surveys over the KSC portion of the Banana River (BR) from SR528 north andover Banana Creek began in 1977 and have continued to present with slight modifications
over years. Beginning in 2016, as a response to the trend of declining number of manatee
observed in the Banana River and concurrent reports of large numbers of manatees being
observed in the ML, where manatee numbers were traditionally low, the survey area was
expanded to Mosquito Lagoon (ML). NASA helicopters provide the observation platform withan observer on each side and a data recorder with computer and GPS systems guiding theflightpath and marking the observer callouts. For the monthly surveys, the aircraft follows apredetermined path, which extends from the southern boundary of KSC in the Banana Rivertransiting north in a serpentine pattern along the east/west axis at one half degree latitude
increments. In areas north of the NASA causeway where the shoreline is more complex, theflight path loops through areas that are more open and travels down the middle of narrowareas such as ICW, VAB channel and Banana Creek. For ML, the flightpath follows a large
loop starting from the southern terminus up the eastern side to Georges Bar and south along
the western side. Prior to take off, specific survey criteria must be met; when sea state
conditions exceed Beaufort 2, high winds (exceeding 18kts) and/or cloud cover (exceeding60%), the flight is rescheduled. During surveys animal location, attribute information (e.g.
behavior, number in-group, number of adults and calves), and environmental conditions are
A142

recorded. These quantitative data allow comparison of trends both seasonally and annually,
and use patterns related to habitat features, such as depth and seagrass beds.
For annual comparisons of manatee relative abundance, the summer (June, July and August)mean number of manatees observed per flight is used. Using this time period reduces noisein the data, because the summer is a period with lowest manatee emigration/immigration at
KSC. Results from summer only surveys have shown an overall long-term trend of increasing
number of manatees utilizing the Banana River from 1977-2015. This ranged from a mean
number of manatees per flight of 25 manatees in the late 1970’s to a peak of over 600 mean
number per flight in 2012. Between 2013 and 2017 the annual summer mean varied greatly
ranging from over 500 in 2014 and 2105 to a low of 148 in 2016. In 2018 the numbers
catastrophically declined and for 2019, reached a 40 year low of 38 mean number of manatee
per flight. Concurrently in ML where manatee numbers have been traditionally low, the numberof manatee increased from 349 mean number per flight in 2016 to 734 mean number per flightin 2019. This apparent shift in distribution from the BR to ML has management and resource
implications such as; long term availability of seagrass for forage and the possibility ofincreased boat manatee interaction. This shift is of interest to KSC and others (I.e. FFWCC,USFWS, and CNS) each having mandates to protect manatees and their habitat. KSC also
supports the FFWCC statewide synoptic survey, which is performed on cold winters whenmanatees aggregate near warm water refugia in very large numbers. This is an important
metric for the state; the same methodology and flightpath is used for that effort.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
YES
A143

8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☒Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds
A144

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☒Coverage (acres)o. ☒Density

A145p. ☒Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☒Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete sampling events. Frequency varies by year, for most years at least 13 surveys per
year. At a minimum twice monthly aerial surveys during the summer months of June, July andAugust (n=6), once monthly surveys in September, October and November for fall trends (n= 3), once monthly surveys in March, April, and May for spring trends (n=3) and participate inannual winter statewide synoptic survey (n=1).
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Flight data file is downloaded, reviewed and proofed by the PI. Data is then transferred to
ECO data scientists to be entered into Oracle database for further QA/QC. Data can beaccessed via several in-house data tools or exported into various statistical and graphingpackages.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
YES
A146

15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A147

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Kennedy Space Center2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
NASA POC: Jeff Collins, 321-861-6554, Jeffrey.s.collins@nasa.gov.
PI’s: Eric D. Stolen, 321 480-6799, eric.d.stolen@nasa.gov, Dave Breininger, 321 -2895130, david.r.breininger@nasa.gov
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program:
Monitoring foraging habitat use and nesting success of wading birds on KSC:
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: April 1987

and Planned End Date: ongoing

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable
The long-term monitoring of wading birds on KSC consists of: 1) a continuation of the wading
bird foraging habitat use aerial surveys which have been conducted monthly since 1987 in
13-25 KSC impoundments; 2) a continuation of the annual wading bird nesting colony peakcount boat and aerial surveys which have been conducted annually since 1987; and, 3) a new
study of nest productivity in 3-5 of the largest wading bird nesting colonies on KSC. These
activities are aimed at providing managers with information related to environmental
compliance and natural resource management on KSC.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toA148

share?Yes.
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☒Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☒Living Shorelines

k. ☒Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☒Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservation
A149

n. ☒Connected Waters and Watersheds
Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Wading bird foraging habitat use (birds / ha in different types of habitat, collected monthly),
Peak nest totals on KSC (Northern IRL from SR 528 to Shipyard Islands in Mosquito Lagoon).
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators

A150

n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☒Densityp. ☒Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Monthly and annual surveys.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Extensive peer review by KSC staff ecologists and MINWR. Occasional peer reviewed
publication of results.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes.
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

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One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Southeast Coast Network
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Eric Starkey, 706-286-0355, eric_starkey@nps.gov
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: Estuarine Water and Sediment Quality Monitoring
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: __2005______ and Planned End Date: None planned
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Due to the importance of water resources to park management from ecological, regulatory,
and visitor experience perspectives, estuarine water-quality in Canaveral National Seashore
was selected to be monitored by the National Park Service, Inventory and Monitoring
Division’s Southeast Coast Network (SECN). Since 2005, the SECN has employed amultiscale approach to assess estuarine water resources in the Seashore. Data collected aspart of this effort are intended help resource managers: 1) better understand ecologicalprocesses and impacts caused by development, 2) make informed management decisions,and 3) form/maintain strategic partnerships to improve water-quality. In addition, given thediverse and dynamic nature of estuaries, this monitoring is intended to capture the spatial andtemporal variability of these systems.
Monitoring at a fixed station using continuous data loggers allow for evaluation of temporal
patterns in core water-quality parameters (dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, temperature, andturbidity). In contrast to fixed-station monitoring, spatial variability of water-quality isdetermined with park-wide assessments every 5 years. These assessments include discrete
sampling of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a), core water-quality
parameters, water-clarity, and sediment. Sediment is analyzed for organic contaminants andmetals. This multiscale monitoring approach leads to an understanding of the spatiotemporal
status and variability of water-quality.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)
A152c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare? Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☒Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☒Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitats

A153

h. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Dissolved oxygen
pH
Salinity
Water temperature
Turbidity
Water clarity
Chlorophyll a
Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN)
Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus (DIP)
Sediment organic contaminants
Sediment metals
Sediment total organic carbon (TOC)
Sediment grain size
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
A154

a. ☒Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☒Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☒Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB events
A155

aa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified
12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Continuous monitoring at a single site for dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, temperature, andturbidity.
Discrete sampling throughout Mosquito Lagoon occurs every 5 years.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Continuous data are screened for outliers and corrections are applied for sensor drift andfouling following guidance in Wagner et al 2006 (https://pubs.usgs.gov/tm/2006/tm1D3/).
Discrete data are reviewed, screened, and approved before being reported. In addition, fieldblanks and/or duplicates are required from 10% of sites sampled.
https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2194106

14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities? Yes
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A156

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Southeast Coast Inventory & Monitoring Network
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address): Lisa Cowart Baron
706.424.2390 lisa_baron@nps.gov
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire foreach of your organization’s monitoring programs): Wetland elevation monitoring.
4. Monitoring

Program

Start

Date:

2015

and

Planned

End

Date:

2018

Data collection will not be performed on the existing site moving forward. Two new sites
will be installed FY20 or FY21 for this long-term monitoring effort.
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Wetland surface elevation is measured at the wetland elevation sites using methods
developed by USGS. A rod surface elevation table (SET) site was installed prior to 2014
and was sampled in 2015, 2016, and partially in 2018. This site consisted of 3 SET
stations where elevation and accretion data were collected. This one site will not besampled moving forward and instead, 2 new sites will be installed in 2020 or 2021. These
new SET sties will each consist of 3 SET stations where surface elevation and accretion
will be monitored annually.

Elevation measurements are collected using a surface

elevation table. Accretion data is collected by laying feldspar clay on the surface andcollecting soil cores to determine how much sediment has accreted over time at the site.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
A157

7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willingto share?
Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)

f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☒Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☒Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

A158

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☒Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
surface elevation and accretion
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed
above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☒Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☒Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
A159

Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
These data area discrete and the sample frequency is annually.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link,describe briefly, or attach.
The QA/QC process for this process is currently being developed within NPS I&M
Networks.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible

to

users

in

the

IRL

researchandmanagement

communities?

Once the data is published, it is available to the public.
Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
A160

Below is a picture from one of the old SECN SET stations, showing the SET with the 9 fiberglass
pins.

A161

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National
Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address):
Dennis Apeti, 240-533-0337, dennis.apeti@noaa.gov
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs):
National Mussel Watch Program
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: __1986_____and Planned End Date: __Current____5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Mussel Watch Program(MWP) is a contaminant monitoring program that monitors the status and trends ofchemical contaminants and biological stressors in the nation’s coastal waters. Since 1986,
the Mussel Watch Program remains the longest running continuous contaminantmonitoring program of its kind in the United States. The program is sponsored by the
National Center for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), and utilizes a sentinel-based
approach to monitoring, by collecting and analyzing sediment and bivalves (oysters andmussels) as surrogates for water pollution and bioaccumulation at a network of nearly
300 coastal sites including, the Great Lakes, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Different
target bivalve shellfish are used as sentinel species. The mussels (Mytilus species) arecollected from the North Atlantic and Pacific coasts, oysters (Crassostrea virginica) fromthe mid-Atlantic (Delaware Bay) southward and along the Gulf Coast, Smooth-edged
jewelbox (Chama sinuosa) from the Florida Keys, and zebra mussels (Dreissena species),
an invasive species, are collected from sites in the Great Lakes. Mangrove oyster (C.
rhizophorae) are collected from Puerto Rico and topical oyster (Ostrea sandvicensis) from
Hawaii. The program collects samples in the winter months following standard protocols
described in Apeti et al. (2012). Sample analyses are conducted part at NCCOS andgovernment contract laboratories. Aside from the analytical methods of CEC, which areproprietary, standard methods for legacy organics and trace elements monitored by the
program are described in Kimbrough et al (2006) and Kimbrough and Lauenstein (2006).
Contaminants monitored include, a suite of organic and inorganic chemicals, such as
pesticides (e.g. DDT), antifouling agents (e.g. butyltin), industrial contaminants (e.g.
PCB), oil and fossil fuel related contaminants (e.g. PAH) and heavy metals (e.g. mercury).
Recently, more than 250 contaminants of emerging concern (CEC), are being measured
for long-term or place-based monitoring consideration, these include pharmaceuticals
A162

and personal care products, flame-retardants, current-use pesticides, surfactants, andstain repellant compounds. The program has also historically measured biologicalindicators of water quality. The bacteria Clostridium perfringens is measured in sediment
as an indicator of sewage waste, and from 1995 through 2009, the program had
monitored histopathology stressors (diseases and parasites, and gonadal index) inmussels and oysters as indicators of bivalve health and water quality.
The program’s long-term monitoring data are georeferenced and publicly available fordownload from the NCCOS’ website data portal. The data provide a unique historicbenchmark for assessing coastal health and ecosystem management efforts. Mussel
Watch is able to assess the effects of environmental disasters such as the 2010 Deepwater
Horizon oil spill, the 2001 World Trade Center collapse, and natural disasters such as
the 2005 Hurricane Katrina. The data are utilized by such end-users as federal, state, andacademic scientists for environmental modeling, risk assessments, spill response anddamage assessments, and resource management.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☒Other – Please describe: _Sebastien River______
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Indian River

Sebastian RiverFL

Lat: 27.8295

Long: -80.4743

8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)
A163

g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☒Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☒Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☒Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☒Filter Feeders☒Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

A16410. Please list key parameters measured by your program: legacy organic and inorganic
contaminants, emerging contaminants, and fecal matter markers.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☒Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☒Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

A165

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
See attached.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes. Our data are publically available.
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A166

A167

A168

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) National Centers
for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
NOAA: Jennifer Maucher, 843-460-9694, Jennifer.maucher@noaa.gov
Martin County: Katie Bowes, 772-221-2380, kbowes@martin.fl.us
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Phytoplankton Monitoring Network
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: __2001_____and Planned End Date: __N/A________

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
The Phytoplankton Monitoring Network (PMN) is a community-based network of volunteers
monitoring marine and freshwater phytoplankton and harmful algal blooms (HABs). The PMN
enhances the nation’s ability to respond to and manage the growing threat posed by HABs bycollecting important data for species composition and distribution in coastal waters. In MartinCounty, our group of PMN volunteers is composed entirely of trained scientists. Every two
weeks, volunteers gather data at their respective sites using plankton nets, thermometers,
and salt refractometers. Some volunteers utilize additional monitoring tools at their stations
that allow them to collect data on DO, pH, and turbidity. Samples are analyzed using digital
microscopy, and preserved samples are sent to the NOAA Marine Biotoxins Program for
confirmation and potential toxin determination. All information is submitted to the publicly
available PMN online database. PMN personnel notify state shellfish managers of blooms toserve as an early warning system of potential human health impacts.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)
A169e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
I have an excel sheet with latitude and longitude coordinates that is attached
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☒Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrass

A170

i.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Phytoplankton species composition, salinity, temperature, and at select stations, dissolved
oxygen, pH, and turbidity are also measured
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL

A171

j.

☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☒Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Continuous; Samples are collected every two weeks
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
If HABs are detected, preserved samples are submitted to the NOAA Marine Biotoxins
Program for further analysis.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to be
A172

accessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes, data is publicly available athttps://ecowatch.ncddc.noaa.gov/erddap/tabledap/bedi_PMN.html
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A173

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: ORCA
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Warren Falls(772) 467-1600
wfalls@teamorca.org
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Kilroy4. Monitoring Program Start Date: __________and Planned End Date: __________Start date varies by area of the lagoon, no end date
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)
A174

c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☒Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☒Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☒Stormwaterd. ☒Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☒Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Species

A175

r.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☒Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☒Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☒Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☒Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
A176

Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Real time
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
QA / QC – approved DEP work plan
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Data available on the ORCA website – www.teamorca.org
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
Kilroy monitoring systems monitor for flow speed, flow direction, water temperature, water depth,
salinity, turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a, blue green algae, oxygen reduction potential,
nitrates and phosphates.
Kilroy locations10 Mile Creek

27° 24' 12.12"N

80° 21' 54.41"W(27.40336748)
Barge Junction

28° 24' 29.61"N(-

80.36511387)
80° 41' 37.96"W(28.40822600)

80.69387800)

A177

(-

C23

27° 12' 9.21"N80° 17' 9.39"W(27.20255907)
C54

27° 50' 8.59"N

80.28594042)
80° 31' 1.58"W(27.83571872)
Dragon Point

28° 08' 23.99"N
28° 11' 51.95"N

80° 36' 12.16"W

28° 09' 19.15"N

80° 36' 52.04"W28° 43' 46.21"N80° 36' 26.29"W27° 39' 3.24"N

80° 45' 40.57"W

28° 26' 1.42"N

80° 22' 30.28"W

27° 09' 10.89"N

80° 39' 15.80"W

27° 27' 5.23"N

80° 11' 40.93"W

27° 10' 20.93"N

80° 19' 24.48"W

27° 48' 37.39"N

80° 15' 38.57"W

28° 19' 11.75"N

80° 30' 19.39"W

27° 28' 2.42"N

80° 39' 55.47"W

28° 47' 51.28"N

80° 19' 30.70"W

27° 10' 14.70"N(-

80.32519360)
80° 51' 1.29"W(28.79757730)
Willoughby Creek(-

80.66540704)(27.46733891)
Turnbull Creek #2(-

80.50538600)(28.31993114)
Taylor Creek(-

80.26071303)(27.81038700)
Sykes Creek(-

80.32346727)(27.17248138)
Sebastian DWP(-

80.19470377)(27.45145342)
Palm City Bridge(-

80.65438800)(27.15302437)
Moore’s Creek #2(-

80.37507858)(28.43372700)
Manatee Pocket(-

80.76126875)(27.65090011)
Kars Park(-

80.60730167)(28.72950275)
IRF Main Relief Canal(-

80.61445601)(28.15532000)
Haulover West(-80.60337871)(28.19776504)
Grand South(-

80.51710471)(28.13999799)
Grand North(-(-

80.85035825)
80° 12' 7.45"W(27.17074956)

80.20207083)

A178

(-

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
Smithsonian Marine Station
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Holly Sweat, 772.462.6216 (office), sweatl@si.edu
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Indian River Lagoon Biodiversity and the IRL Species Inventory Update
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 10.01.2019 and Planned End Date: 09.30.2024 (annual
renewal up to 5 years)
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) supports highly biodiverse ecosystems and a nearly $10
billion annual economy, making the estuary a precious resource and critical part of Florida’s
environmental and economic health. In 1994, the first attempt was made by scientists toinventory IRL biodiversity, which the Smithsonian developed into an open-access online
database called the Indian River Lagoon Species Inventory (IRLSI). The IRLSI now requires
modernization and expansion to increase public access to data that will help stakeholders
understand the unique qualities of this estuary and how it is faring in the face of recent andongoing environmental threats. Renovation of the IRLSI includes transferring existing
content to the widely respected Symbiota biodiversity database management system,
moving the site to a new domain for better accessibility, and expanding the database toinclude records that take advantage of modern biodiversity measures and techniques, such
as DNA barcoding.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)

A179

e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☒Other – Please describe: surrounding land, freshwater, flyways
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
No
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
These data are compiled from other sources for use on the IRLSI.
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☒Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use) (planned for 2022)

g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills) (planned for 2022)

h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type) (planned for 2022)
i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
A180

Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☒Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☒Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Species occurrences within the IRL system; reports on IRL species and habitats, special
status species and other aspects of the IRL to assess biodiversity, understand key players
and educate stakeholders.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewer
A181

h. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☒Coverage (acres) (goal in 2022)
o. ☐Densityp. ☒Species diversity

q. ☒Miles of living shoreline (goal in 2022)r.

☒Acres in conservation, management, and public use (goal in 2022)

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☒Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☒Risk-based vulnerabilities identified (potential future goal)

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Continuously gathered as data from other programs and resources become available.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Data come from other research and monitoring programs that follow their own QA/QC
methods. Occurrence records are gathered only from scientific experts. Efforts have begun to
A182

provide barcodes for all taxa entered into the inventory, increasing the accuracy of ourbiodiversity estimates and eventually leading to more definitive IDs for many species.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A183

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
Smithsonian Marine Station
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Holly Sweat, 772.462.6216 (office), sweatl@si.edu
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Indian River Lagoon Biodiversity and the IRL Species Inventory Update
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 10.01.2019 and Planned End Date: 09.30.2024 (annual
renewal up to 5 years)
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) supports highly biodiverse ecosystems and a nearly $10
billion annual economy, making the estuary a precious resource and critical part of Florida’s
environmental and economic health. In 1994, the first attempt was made by scientists toinventory IRL biodiversity, which the Smithsonian developed into an open-access online
database called the Indian River Lagoon Species Inventory (IRLSI). The IRLSI now requires
modernization and expansion to increase public access to data that will help stakeholders
understand the unique qualities of this estuary and how it is faring in the face of recent andongoing environmental threats. Renovation of the IRLSI includes transferring existing
content to the widely respected Symbiota biodiversity database management system,
moving the site to a new domain for better accessibility, and expanding the database toinclude records that take advantage of modern biodiversity measures and techniques, such
as DNA barcoding.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)
A184e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☒Other – Please describe: surrounding land, freshwater, flyways
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
No
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
These data are compiled from other sources for use on the IRLSI.
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☒Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use) (planned for 2022)

g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills) (planned for 2022)

h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type) (planned for 2022)
i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
A185

Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☒Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☒Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Species occurrences within the IRL system; reports on IRL species and habitats, special
status species and other aspects of the IRL to assess biodiversity, understand key players
and educate stakeholders.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewer
A186

h. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☒Coverage (acres) (goal in 2022)
o. ☐Densityp. ☒Species diversity

q. ☒Miles of living shoreline (goal in 2022)r.

☒Acres in conservation, management, and public use (goal in 2022)

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☒Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☒Risk-based vulnerabilities identified (potential future goal)

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Continuously gathered as data from other programs and resources become available.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Data come from other research and monitoring programs that follow their own QA/QC
methods. Occurrence records are gathered only from scientific experts. Efforts have begun to
A187

provide barcodes for all taxa entered into the inventory, increasing the accuracy of ourbiodiversity estimates and eventually leading to more definitive IDs for many species.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A188

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
Smithsonian Marine Station – MarineGEO Program (marinegeo.si.edu)
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address):
Dean Janiak, 772-461-0991, janiakd@si.edu
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
MarineGEO
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: ____2017___and Planned End Date: ____na______

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
The Marine Global Earth Observatories Network (MarineGEO), directed by theSmithsonian Institution, is a global network of partners focused on understanding how
coastal ecosystems work. We focus on biodiversity and the causes and consequencesof its change. We conduct both monitoring of essential coastal habitats as well as
network experiments to examine large-scale questions within a variety of fundamental
ecological themes.
Despite the program having a global footprint, we spend a significant amount of time
focused at the local scale. In the central Indian River Lagoon, the Smithsonian Marine
Station has been conducting research for close to 50 years. Through the MarineGEO
program, we have within the past several years began monitoring seagrass beds,
oyster reefs, soft-sediments, artificial structures, and mangroves. The protocols used
are standardized and we use common techniques that have been well-vetted in each of
the habitats. Our research is not only vital to the lagoon but through our global
partnerships, we have the ability to compare our lagoon to other sites around the world.
One particular project that is not explicitly asked within this questionnaire that we docenters on biodiversity of fouling species within the central lagoon. Each summer wedeploy 6 fouling panels (PVC) in 5 different habitats (oysters, seagrass, soft-sediment,
mangrove, and docks and these habitats are replicated 3 times (15 total sites). From
this, we monitor the development of these communities over a 3 month period. Upon
A189

retrieval, they are examined under a scope for species identification. The majority of
introduced species within the coastal marine zone are found in these communities andtherefore this project, helps provide a good inventory of non-native marine
invertebrates in the lagoon.
We have also conducted 3 intensive bio-blitzes within lagoon in the past several years
with the goal to barcode all invertebrates with accompanying vouchers andphotographs.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare? We do not have shapefiles available.
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)
A190

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☒Seagrassi.
j.

☒Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☒Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
We measure biodiversity using standardized protocols in a variety of habitats. We also
maintain a SONDE EXO which records salinity, temperature, chlorophyll, turbidity,
conductivity, and pH (every 5 minutes).
A191

11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☒Densityp. ☒Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☒Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identification
A192

y. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
We conduct annual sampling during the summer. Our SONDE EXO is continuous.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Biological monitoring data is checked and verified as it is entered into our database.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities? In general, data aremade available only to our contributing network partners immediately after QA/QC. We
strive for open-access data, however, this is dependent on the data which is requested.
For example, geophysical and environmental data are generally open to all users.
Biological data from monitoring, bio-blitzes, and experiments are typically not available
until after the data are published. We do have a data policy agreement that I can email
to those interested.
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A193

Smithsonian Marine Station – MarineGEO Annual Sampling within the Indian River Lagoon
marinegeo.si.edu
1) Fouling Community Monitoring
Annual sampling at 15 sites. At each site 6 fouling panels are deployed on or around June 1.
Panels are 13 x 13 cm PVC. During development, at 30, 60, and 90 days, panels are photographed. At
90 days, panels are retrieved and examined under a microscope to get a detailed species list and makeany necessary collections. Panels are also washed and all small mobile mesofauna are separated fromsessile community. These are identified and enumerated. Total community biomass wet weight istaken as well. From photographs, point-counts are taken (100 points per panel) to estimate community
composition. Fouling communities are monitored at several different habitats within the lagoon. Of
particular importance, most introduced species are found within these communities and these surveys
provide the first reports of introduced species within the lagoon. Fouling communities are also tied
tightly to environmental change. Overtime, we anticipate the capacity to model changes in community
composition with changes in the environment.
2) Oyster Reef Monitoring
Annual sampling of 7 local reefs within Indian River county and St Lucie county. The
Smithsonian collaborates with the DEP Aquatic Preserves to conduct all sampling. Protocols used here
are used as well at other sites within the Gulf of Mexican and Mid-Atlantic.
a) Reef composition – 3 30 m transects are laid at each site, along each transect at 5
predetermined points a 1x1 m quadrat is dropped with 81 intersecting points and species under eachpoint is talliedA194b) Size frequency and density – along each transect a 0.25x0.25m quadrat is deployed (3 persite), all oysters are excavated, and all live oysters are counted and measured. Bivalves are measured
and barnacles and serpulids are counted.
c) Reef area and height – at each reef the area and height is estimatedd) Rugosity – at each reef, 15 rugosity measurements are taken to estimate reef complexity.
e) Associated fauna – at each site 3 bio-boxes (0.5x0.5m) are deployed within the reef, these are
deployed 2 months prior to sampling and sampled in summer, all mobile fauna are collected, identified,and counted.
3) Seagrass Monitoring
Annual sampling of 3 seagrass sites. Protocols (https://marinegeo.github.io/projects/seagrassfood-webs/) are standardized and used at multiple sites around the world.
a) Seagrass composition and density – 3 50m permanent transects are laid, along each transect
at predetermined points seagrass density and composition is estimated using a 0.5x0.5m quadrat.
Within the quadrat, shoot density is estimated as well.
b) Shoot length – along each transect, several shoot collections are taken to measure leaf
characteristics and biofouling load.
c) Macroalgae – along each transect, macroalgae composition is estimatedd) Epifauna – along each transect, several collections are taken to sample for epifaunalabundance and compositione) Sediments – along each transect, sediment samples are taken to estimate sediment organiccarbon4) Consumption Assays
Annual consumption assays are done at 15 sites (3 sites per 5 different habitats). At each site,
squidpops (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esSByfVlMt4) are deployed to measure feeding activityof fish. Twenty-four dried pieces of squid are individually attached to small PVC dowels and deployed
along the benthos in a parallel line 1-2 meters from each other. Presence/absences after 1 hour and 24
hours is counted and consumption rates are estimated.
5) Continuous Water Quality Sampling
We have a sonde EXO deployed (see accompanying location document) that samples
continuously every 6 minutes. Parameters include turbidity, conductivity, salinity, temperature,chlorophyll, and pH.

A195

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:South Florida Water Management District
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Barbara Welch, 561-682-2483, bwelch@sfwmd.gov
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
C-44 and St. Lucie Estuary Phytoplankton Study
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: Jan. 2019 and Planned End Date: Currently 2 years,
possibly ON-GOING (as budget allows) (Note: due to COVID Pandemic project was onput hold but will continue through 2021).
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Spatial and temporal changes in phytoplankton community structure (biomass andspecies composition) and associated physical, chemical and optical water quality
parameters (salinity, temperature, turbidity, PAR, pH, DO, CDOM, NH4+, NO3-, NO2-,
SRP, Si, depth, Secchi) are monitored along an environmental gradient (salinity andnutrients) at 10 locations in C-44 canal and St. Lucie Estuary (see attached map). All
lab analysis (nutrients, chlorophyll a) are done according to the standard EPA, FDEP
and SFWMD methodologies. Physical and optical water quality data are collected at
0.5 m below the water surface and above the bottom, and continuously at 1 sec. interval
throughout the water column, using EXO multiparameter sonde.

Phytoplankton

communities are collected using an integrated vertical sampling devise from within 1.5
m water column. Samples are preserved on site with Lugol’s solution (for fullcommunity

structure

analysisunder

microscope)andglutaraldehyde(forcyanobacteria counts). Samples for nutrient and algal pigment analysis are collectedfrom the same integrated water samples and stored on ice in cooler. The samples forpigment analysis are filtered in the lab, preserved in -80 C freezer, and transported to
FAU for algal biomass and community composition analysis using High Pressure
Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Samples collected are sent to FIU for microscopic
A196

analysis of phytoplankton communities using inverse microscope and cyanobacteria
counts using fluorescence microscope. The samples are collected at outgoing tide on
bi-monthly basis during dry seasons (November-April) and on monthly basis (and twicea month during intense blooms) during wet seasons (May-October).
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☒Other – Please describe: C-44 Canal and St Lucie River and Estuary
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

A197

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.’- phytopigment concentrations- general phytoplankton community composition- water quality parameters salinity, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, pH andA198

secchi- inorganic nutrients (SRP, NO3, NO2, NH4, SiO2)- CDOM- Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicators
A199

t.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☒Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete, monthly during the wet season and bi-monthly during the dry season.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.

Quality Assurance System Requirements (QASR) Manual for CERP (USACE andSFWMD 2006) (http://www.evergladesplan.org/pm/program docs/qasr archive.aspx)
andFlorida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) methods(http://www.floridadep.org/labs/sop/index.htm)
CERP data standards are used as a guidance for all data formatting, analysis, anddelivery as stipulated in the CERP Master Program Management Plan (USACE andSFWMD 2000) and the CERP Guidance Memoranda (CGMs) see
http://www.evergladesplan.org/pm/program docs/cerp-guidance-memo.aspx.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes, if approved in-house.
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A200

Fig. 1. Study area and sampling site locations in C-44 canal (S1, S2, S3) and St. Lucie
River Estuary (S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, S9, S10).

A201

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:South Florida Water Management District
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Amanda Kahn (910) 616-1686 (cell) akahn@sfwmd.gov; Nathan Gavin ngavin@sfwmd.gov
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
CERP RECOVER (Restoration Coordination and Verification) Northern Estuaries SAV
Ecosystem Assessment (NESEA)
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: RECOVER SAV monitoring 2008, current protocols (NESEA)
2018 and Planned End Date: post CERP project implementations (20??)
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
The NESEA program for RECOVER adopted a three- tier system in 2018, by which tier I
attains a landscape scale view of the system, tier II an ecosystem view, and tier III a populationand organism view of responses.
Tier I: Aerial photography for total seagrass acreage, which is conducted in collaboration
with SJRWMD every 2 years and covers the entire IRL. Tier II: Twice a year (at the beginningof the dry and wet seasons) random stratified sampling is conducted throughout the southern
IRL and SLE using random points within a hexagonal grid along. The sampling is divided
among six segments within the SIRL, established in the 1990’s. Eight ¼ m2 quadrats arehaphazardly thrown at each point , a total of ~30 points per segment, and observed for total
seagrass cover, cover by seagrass species, drift algae, and macroalgae using the Braun
Blanquet cover and abundance category classes. Average canopy height of seagrass species
is also measured. At each site, water quality parameters, Secchi, and light (PAR) aremeasured (see Q10). Tier III: three 100m permanent transects, parallel to shore or thechannel, are monitored monthly (two sites in St. Lucie one near Willoughby Creek, one Northof the Inlet), or bimonthly (two sites in Ft. Pierce, one near Taylor Creek, one North of the
Inlet) from March to November. Along each transect, at eleven points the same observations
per quadrat are made as above. In addition, blade density counts for seagrass a recorded.
Cores for measuring above and below ground biomass of the seagrass species will also be
A202collected in the future iterations of the program. WQ, Secchi, and light measurements are also
taken.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: ___St. Lucie Estuary_______
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat: seagrass/ SAV; macroalgae; drift algae (we also make note if oysters/shells
present)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality: YSI EXO2 sonde used for WQ parameter measurements at sites; also
LICOR for PAR measurements to calculate light attenuation; secchi depthf.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
A203

Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☒Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☒Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern (H. johnsonii)q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Seagrass acreage y aerial flights; In water: Seagrass cover, by total seagrass (SAV) and by
species, seagrass canopy height, blade density, macroalgae cover (including Caulerpa
species), drift algae, epiphyte presence, major water quality parameters (T, S, DO in mg/L
and %, chla, turbidity, CDOM), Secchi depth, and PAR for light attenuation
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
A204

Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☒Coverage (acres)o. ☒Densityp. ☒Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☒Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☒Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removal
A205

z. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Are your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete. Aerial flights every 2 years; estuary-wide in water surveys twice a year (June andNovember); 3 parallel permanent transects (St. Lucie monthly, FT. Pierce every other month)
March-Nov.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Data entry and QA/QC are tracked with signatures on data sheets and in spreadsheets. Field
data sheets are scanned, data are entered, and all entered data are QA/QC’d by a separate
individual. Calibration sheets for WQ sondes are also maintained
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes, once data are QA/QC’d and ready for reporting. Data are publicly available, we areworking on a format for which to best display/share the data with the updated program;
Side note: we have had limited resources (people) to move data from collection to entry
through QA/QC to display and share, but we are getting there
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism,

logo)

that

could

be

included

with

your

programdescription.

Examples of observations in ¼ m2 quadrat Segment 26, (left) and Segment 22 (right) May 2020
Tier 2 Monitoring
A206

Seagrass at one of the three transects at the Ft. Pierce Inlet site for Tier 3 monitoring; 10 cm
quadrat for blade counts in ¼ m2 quadrat, May 2020.

A207

Segments for the Tier 2 Monitoring efforts.

A208

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD)
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
TBD
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Land use/land cover mapping
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 1999*

and Planned End Date: ongoing

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Since the 1999 mapping effort, methods have been sufficiently consistent to support directcomparison of land cover between mapping year (*note meta-data information in 1995 map,
some polygons to be updated after which this may be updated as start date for comparisons).
The land cover maps mostly are classified using a modified Florida Land Use/Land Cover andForms Classification System (FLUCCS). Since the 1999 mapping effort, methods are
sufficiently consistent to support comparison of land cover between mapping years. These
years are 1999, 2004-2005, 2008-2009, and 2014-2016, with features based on county-based
aerial photography. The coastal habitat layers have been used in the statewide Coastal
Habitat Integrated Mapping and Monitoring Program (CHIMMP). The land use data for thewatersheds are summarized in the annual South Florida Environmental Report.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
A209

8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☒Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

A210

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Land cover/land use in acres
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern

Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☒Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☒Acres in conservation, management, and public use
A211s. ☒Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☒Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete, with a 5-year timestep, year of image acquisition is county-dependent
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
https://geosfwmd.hub.arcgis.com/search?owner=SFWMDOpenData&q=SFWMD%20Land%20use
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes- link above is open-access
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A212

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: SFWMD
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address) Amanda Kahn
akahn@sfwmd.gov
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program:Surface Water Quality Monitoring for the IRL and Surface Water Quality Monitoring for the St.
Lucie Estuary
4. Monitoring Program Start Dates: Site dependent

and Planned End Date: ongoing(long-term)
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
See IRL-MP and SE-MP documents
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☒Other – Please describe: St. Lucie Estuary
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Access to Data are through Public-access site DBHYDRO
https://my.sfwmd.gov/dbhydroplsql/show_dbkey_info.main_menu

or SFWMD quick maps ap https://apps.sfwmd.gov/WAB/SFWMDMapping/index.html environmental

monitoring layers

A213

8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☒Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living ResourcesA214

o. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Temperature, Sp conductivity from which salinity is derived, pH, turbidity, color, TSS,
Nitrate+nitrite, Ammonia, TN, OrthoP, TP, chl a, DO; Total depth, PAR, Secchi depth (fordetails see IRL-MP and SE-MP documents)
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☒Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☒Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)A215

o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Are your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete grab samples, primarily monthly, but site dependent for some IRL sites (for details
see IRL-MP and SE-MP documents)
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Attached. Field FSM and Field QM documents
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities? Yes, available
through DBHYDRO
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description. see IRL-MP and SEMP documents for maps and :https://www.sfwmd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/wqm_swgrab1.pdf
https://apps.sfwmd.gov/WAB/SFWMDMapping/index.html

A216

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD)
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Chuck Jacoby, 386-546-5835, cjacoby@sjrwmd.com
Rex Ellis, 386-329-4548, rellis@sjrwmd.com
Ali Simpson, 386-643-1904, asimpson@sjrwmd.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Estimating chlorophyll-a concentrations from freely available remotely sensed imagery
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 1984and Planned End Date: ongoing

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Multispectral imagery taken by Landsat and Sentinel satellites are downloaded, andregression models are used to predict concentrations of chlorophyll-a from reflectance values.
The corresponding raster map of chlorophyll-a concentrations can be adjusted/corrected byusing data from samples of surface water to guide residual kriging.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)A217

b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Species

A218

r.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Concentrations of chlorophyll-a estimated from reflected light using regressions
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern

Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration

Living Resources Indicators

A219

t.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete, with a weekly timestep if weather conditions are suitable
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Maps are used in-house for bleeding-edge visualization of blooms, so they are not QA/QC’ed
regularly. For hindcasts, predictions are compared to concentrations of chlorophyll-a insamples of surface water and corrected/adjusted via residual kriging
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A220

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD)
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Chuck Jacoby, 386-546-5835, cjacoby@sjrwmd.com
Margie Lasi, 386-329-4825, mlasi@sjrwmd.com
Lauren Hall, 321-409-2118, lhall@sjrwmd.com
Margaret Guyette, 386-643-1909, mguyette@sjrwmd.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Indian River Lagoon Phytoplankton Bloom Sampling
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 8/3/2005 and Planned End Date: ongoing
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Samples are taken when a phytoplankton bloom is observed during fieldwork or when staff ofSJRWMD or another agency request sampling of a suspected bloom. Specifics fordetermining when and how to collect bloom samples are outlined in Appendix 2.2 of theDistrict’s Field Standard Operating Procedures for Surface Water Sampling (PM-PROJ_DIST
St Johns River Water Management District_FSOP_FY2020.pdf). Samples are taken with avertically integrating tube or via a subsurface grab. Depth of collection is measured andrecorded, and when possible Secchi depth, a code for weather, percent cloud cover, windvelocity, wind direction and air temperature are recorded. Multi-meter readings for watertemperature, pH, conductivity/salinity, dissolved oxygen concentrations, and chlorophyll
fluorescence are collected at 0.35 m from the surface of the water and at 0.10 m from thebottom. If the location is not an existing station, coordinates and a description of the location
are recorded. In the absence of coordinates, the location’s distance and position relative tonearby terrestrial features are documented. Samples are preserved on site with Lugol’ssolution, and on request, live samples may be collected and kept cool in the dark. Samples
are shipped to the University of Florida for identification and enumeration of dominant taxa.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoon

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f.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes, available upon request for specific events when coordinates have been recorded
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.

☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)

☒Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern

Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living ShorelinesA222

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Dominant phytoplankton species and their abundance, water depth, depth of collection or
integration, number of integrated pole samples in the pooled sample, Secchi depth,
temperature, pH, conductivity/salinity, dissolved oxygen concentration, chlorophyll
fluorescence, meteorological information when possible, and comments.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muck
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l.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern

Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration

Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☒Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete, with frequency driven by events
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Sampling follows protocols specified in the attached FSOP (PM-PROJ_DIST St Johns River
Water Management District_FSOP_FY2020.pdf). Analysis follows QA/QC protocols
established and maintained by Dr. Edward Phlips at the University of Florida.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included
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Attachments:
District FSOP (PM-PROJ_DIST St Johns River Water Management
District_FSOP_FY2020.pdf)
Included below: Image of fieldwork
Collecting a sample with avertically integrating pole.

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One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD)
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Chuck Jacoby, 386-546-5835, cjacoby@sjrwmd.com
Ashley Parks, 321-473-1334, aparks@sjrwmd.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Indian River Lagoon Continuous Surface Water Quality Monitoring
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 2/10/2014 and Planned End Date: ongoing
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Six stations are instrumented with YSI EXO2s. Five stations are on free-standing platforms
and one is on the fishing pier in Titusville. Sondes are deployed for 3-4 weeks. At the end of
a deployment, an in-situ reading is taken with the dirty sensor, it is cleaned and used to takeanother reading, and an additional clean sensor provides a third reading as per USGS
guidelines for continuous monitoring (https://pubs.usgs.gov/tm/2006/tm1D3/). In addition, agrab sample is taken for laboratory analyses. Standard operating procedures are followed(PM-PROJ_DIST St Johns River Water Management District_CM FSOP_FY2020.pdf).
AQUARIUS Time-Series software is used to manage and store data, and AQUARIUS
WebPortal is used for assessing and communicating data internally. Data are provided to the
public via a dedicated website (http://webapub.sjrwmd.com/agws10/hdswq/).
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare? Yes
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8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☒Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

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p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, specific conductance, salinity,
turbidity, chlorophyll concentration in relative fluorescence units (RFU), concentration offluorescent dissolved organic matter (fDOM)
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows

and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern

Habitat Quality Indicators

n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreline

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r.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration

Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☒Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Real-time, hourly data with discrete samples taken during monthly field visits
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
SJRWMD has a QA/QC/Data Management SOP that is in development. In AQUARIUS TimeSeries, thresholds automatically suppress outliers. Corrections for fouling and drift are applied
as needed using the measurements taken during maintenance visits and U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS) calculations (https://pubs.usgs.gov/tm/2006/tm1D3/). Qualifiers are applied to
identify different periods in the time series when corrections have been made or there are
relevant flags regarding data quality (e.g., a sensor failed post-verification, readings corrected
for fouling). Grades reflect accuracy of the data as recommended by the USGS (Table 18 in
https://pubs.usgs.gov/tm/2006/tm1D3/pdf/TM1D3.pdf). Further details about the QA/QC anddata management processes can be supplied upon request.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes, data are available at http://webapub.sjrwmd.com/agws10/hdswq/
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included
Attachments:
District FSOP (PM-PROJ_DIST St Johns River Water Management District_CM
FSOP_FY2020.pdf)
Included below:
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Images of stations and fieldwork

Continuous monitoring platform in southern Mosquito Lagoon (Station IRLML02).

Continuous monitoring platform in Vero Beach (Station CMVero).
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General and close-up views of continuous monitoring station at the Titusville Fishing Pier.

A231

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD)
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Chuck Jacoby, 386-546-5835, cjacoby@sjrwmd.com
Margie Lasi, 386-329-4825, mlasi@sjrwmd.com
Jan Miller for Volusia County, 386-736-5927 x12096, kyoung@volusia.org
Kelly Young for Volusia County, 386-736-5927 x12096, kyoung@volusia.org
Margaret Guyette, 386-643-1909, mguyette@sjrwmd.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Indian River Lagoon permanent ambient surface water quality monitoring network (IRLWQMN)
Northern Coastal Basins permanent ambient surface water quality monitoring network (NCBWQMN) for Volusia County
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: Sep 1979/Jan 1987 and 1/29/2019

andPlannedEnd

Date: ongoing
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
The IRL-WQMN is a partnership that involves the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) and Volusia, Brevard, and Indian River counties. In 1996, redundantstations were eliminated, sampling methods were standardized further, analyses were
centralized under a single laboratory, and SJRWMD expanded their role in collecting data.
Sampling takes place monthly, with the goal being completion in the first week of every month.
Currently, the network consists of 32 open-water (lagoon) stations and 17 tributary stations
for a total of 49 stations in Mosquito Lagoon, Indian River Lagoon and Banana River Lagoon
basins. Details for stations are in IRL-WQMN_FY20_STATION_INFO_20200623.xlsx.
The NCB-WQMN is a partnership that involves Volusia County. The county monitors HL11
(29.214444, -81.011944) in the Halifax River on a bi-monthly basis. Volusia County also
monitors a number of other stations in the Halifax River to support their own monitoring
program.
Samples are collected according to Field Standard Operating Procedures for Surface Water
Sampling (PM-PROJ_DIST St Johns River Water Management District_FSOP_FY2020.pdf)
and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s field sampling directives andprocedures (sections FA1000 section FA3300 of the DEP-SOP-001/01). Grab samples atlagoon stations are collected at 0.5 m depth. At tributary stations, grab samples are collected
at mid-depth when water depth is < 1 m, or at 0.5 m when water depth ≥ 1 m. Sonde readings
are taken at the same depths as grab samples, and readings also are taken at multiple depths
when water at a tributary station is ≥ 1 m deep. Aliquots are filtered and acid-preserved within
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15 minutes of collection, stored under wet ice in coolers, and shipped to the analyticallaboratory via overnight delivery. Since October 2011, samples are analyzed by the
SJRWMD’s laboratory, except when instrument failures or other emergencies require thatsamples are analyzed by a contract laboratory to meet relevant holding times.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☒Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☒Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐WastewaterA233

c. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern

Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Field measurements collected include water depth, depth of collection, Secchi depth, weather
code, attenuation of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) reported as calculated Kd, andmulti-meter (sonde) measurements of water temperature, salinity/conductivity, pH,concentration and percent saturation of dissolved oxygen, and concentration of chlorophyll
via fluorescence and observations. Until late 2019, percent cloud cover, wind speed, winddirection and air temperature also were recorded. Sampling is constrained to times when theminimum solar angle above the horizon ≥ 30º to constrain variation in measurements of Secchi
depth and Kd. Procedures are documented in the District FSOP (PM-PROJ_DIST St Johns
River Water Management District_FSOP_FY2020.pdf).
Laboratory analytes include alkalinity/conductivity; turbidity; true color; total suspended solids;
volatile suspended solids; concentrations of dissolved nitrate/nitrite, ammonium, andorthophosphate, and silicon dioxide; and concentrations of total and dissolved fractions oforganic carbon, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, phosphorus, and silicon; concentrations of chlorophylla, chlorophyll-b, chlorophyll-c, pheophytin, and chlorophyll-a corrected for pheophytin;
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calculated hardness (calculated), and concentrations of total and dissolved major and minor
metals. An overview of laboratory procedures is in Summary_Lab_QA_Protocols_6-3020.pdf. Additional information on analytes and their histories of collection is provided in IRLWQMN_FY20_analyte_subproject_info_20200623.xlsx.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☒Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☒Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☒Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☒Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern

Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration

Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends
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w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete, with a monthly timestep in the Indian River Lagoon and a bimonthly timestep in the
Northern Coastal Basins
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Field data are recorded and QA’ed within the Water Quality Collection System (WQCS)
software, an in-house designed program. The WQCS is a paperless, custom-built web-based
application that collects, stores and manages all aspects of water quality data collection,
except for lab results. The WQCS contains a built-in, trackable QA process that requires thedata to be checked by field staff and QA specialists with immediate error feedback to correct
before data are loaded into the District’s Environmental Database. Data are automaticallyquality coded by the WQCS. Lab data are QA/QC’ed following district protocols summarized
intheattached
Summary
of
Lab
QA/QC
protocols
document(Summary_Lab_QA_Protocols_6-30-20.pdf).
The SJRWMD currently uses the fourth-spread method (Hoaglin, Mosteller, and Tukey
year?) to check for outliers. When a new value is generated, it is compared to a historical
range of values for the station and analyte. If the new value is outside the fourth-spread
range, it is considered an outlier. It is then sent to the data manager or project manager for
review and a decision is made about whether or not to rerun the sample. If the rerun value isstill outside the range, the sample is coded as such and is not used in any further range
calculations.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes, data are available at http://webapub.sjrwmd.com/agws10/edqt/, via the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection’s Watershed Information Network (WIN,https://floridadep.gov/dear/watershed-services-program/content/winstoret), or by request(costs may be associated with requests for a large amount of data)
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
-SJRWMD logo (see below)-

IRL WQMN map of IRL FY20 sampling stations (see below)
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-

Station information (accompanying file)-

Analyte and Project/Subproject Information (accompanying file)-

District FSOP (available on request)-

Summary of Lab QA/QC protocols (available on request)-

Images of samplers in the field (see below)

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Stations in the Indian River Lagoon system.
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Selected stations sampled by Volusia County in the Halifax River, with HL11 in the center.

A239

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD)
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Chuck Jacoby, 386-546-5835, cjacoby@sjrwmd.com
Ron Brockymeyer, 386-329-4495, rbrockmeyer@sjrwmd.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Monitoring the elevation of wetlands using surface elevation tables / feldspar marker horizons(SET-MH)4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 2000

and Planned End Date: ongoing

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
The use of SET-MH to monitor wetland sediment accretion or subsidence change in sedimentsurface elevation is a well-accepted method within wetland science. SET/MH will help
elucidate how coastal wetlands are responding to both short-term episodic events, as well as
long-term sea-level dynamics. In addition, monitoring restored coastal wetland sites over timeis required for evaluating progress and improving restoration methods. Comparing change insediment elevation between un-impacted wetlands and restored wetlands may provide
indications regarding the functioning and long-terms sustainability of restored areas. Onceestablished, sites can be revisited as often as needed to meet the needs ofmanagers/researchers.
A rod or pipe is driven into the marsh until stable. A special arm is attached, and pins arelowered through holes in the arm until they touch the marsh surface. The amount of each pin
remaining above the arm is measured to provide relative elevations. Once the station issurveyed, these relative elevations can be converted to absolute elevations. In addition, layersof feldspar are placed on the marsh surface to establish marker horizons. Cores in theselocations will show the accumulation of material above the marker horizons. In combination,
the elevations measured with pins and changes in the depth of sediment above the marker
horizon can be used to determine accretion of material and subsidence below the marker
horizon.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)
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e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☒Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.

☐Filter Feeders
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j.

☐Living Shorelines

k. ☒Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
A242

Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration

Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☒Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete, with a variable timestep approximating 5 years
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
The sampling follows standardized procedures
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes, upon request
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A243

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD)
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Chuck Jacoby, 386-546-5835, cjacoby@sjrwmd.com
Ron Brockymeyer, 386-329-4495, rbrockmeyer@sjrwmd.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Land use/land cover mapping to track changes in coastal wetland acreage
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 1994

and Planned End Date: ongoing

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
SJRWMD has mapped land cover periodically from imagery back to 1943. The land covermaps mostly are classified using a modified Florida Land Use/Land Cover and Forms
Classification System (FLUCCS). Since the 1994 mapping effort, methods have been
sufficiently consistent to support direct comparison of land cover between mapping years.
These mapping years are 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009, and 2014. Primarily using the codes for
Saltmarsh (6420) and Mangrove forest (6120), changes in the total cover of these combinedclasses of wetland and changes in their individual areal extents can be discerned between
years. For example, trends in wetland loss and mangrove expansion can be documented.
These layers have been used for these purposes in the statewide Coastal Habitat Integrated
Mapping and Monitoring Program (CHIMMP).
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☒Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________A244

7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☒Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservation
A245

n. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds
Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Land cover/land use in acres
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern

Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Density

A246

p. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☒Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☒Regional watershed planning and project integration

Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☒Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete, with a 5-year timestep
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Accuracy

assessments

and

other

informationareavailableinmetadata

at:https://data-floridaswater.opendata.arcgis.com/search?groupIds=5abc29185336421990c247662271845f

14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A247

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD)
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Chuck Jacoby, 386-546-5835, cjacoby@sjrwmd.com
Lori Morris, 386-329-4544, lmorris@sjrwmd.com
Lauren Hall, 321-409-2118, lhall@sjrwmd.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Seagrass mapping and fixed transects
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: maps 1940-1943, transects 1994

andPlannedEnd

Date: ongoing
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Seagrasses are mapped every 2–3 years. Mapping has been based on visual interpretationof aerial photographs, primarily at a 1:24,000 scale but in some cases at a 1:10,000 scale.
Features on the aerial photographs were identified with the aid of stereoscopic analysis,
photo-interpretation keys, and ground truthing. Features were classified according to Florida
Land Use Cover and Forms Classification System (FLUCCS) codes as modified by the
SJRWMD and South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). Features weredelineated, and the resulting polygons were connected to create a GIS data layer for the areal
extent of seagrass. The accuracy of classifications has been evaluated for each map
generated since 1999.
Seagrasses in the IRL have been surveyed along fixed transects at a minimum of twice a year
(summer and winter) corresponding to times of annual maximum and minimum abundance.
In 1994, 73 sites were established, non-randomly, throughout the IRL with cooperation
between SJRWMD and SFWMD, as well as local and state agencies. As of 2011, that number
had increased to 97 transects. The intent of the fixed transect sampling design is to sample
1) repeatedly at the same location along the same line, 2) quantitatively, 3) non-destructively,
and 4) rapidly.
In the field, each transect is delineated by a graduated line extending perpendicular to theshoreline from the shore out to the deep edge of the seagrass canopy. At pre-designatedpoints along the line, standardized, non-destructive measurements are made within a 1-m2
quadrat divided by strings into 100 cells, each 10 cm by 10 cm. Measurements include:1) species composition documented as the number of cells occupied by at least one shoot ofa species; 2) canopy height for each species; 3) percent cover for each species and for all
species combined; 4) percent cover of drift macroalgae and an index characterizing its
biomass; 5) a visual estimate of epiphyte biomass; 6) water depth; and 7) total transect length(measured distance from shore to the deep edge of the seagrass canopy). Seagrass shoots
A248

are counted in a predetermined set of 10 cm by 10 cm cells as a measure of density that canbe used to generate a relationship between density and percent cover.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐StormwaterA249

d. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☒Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Maps yield areal extent of seagrass (acres or hectares)
Transects yield:•

percent occurrence – total occurrence of seagrass is the number of 10-cm by 10cm cells that contain any species of seagrass (maximum = 100); occurrence foreach species is the number of 10-cm by 10-cm cells that contain that species ofseagrass (maximum = 100); cells containing multiple species will be counted
multiple times (one time for all seagrass and one time for each species)•

percent cover – an estimate (from 0-100%) of the total cover of all species ofseagrass within the 1-m2 quadrat made by visualizing all the seagrass “pushed” tocompletely fill cells or create dense coverage in one corner of the 1-m2 quadrat,
with each completely full cell representing one percent cover; this total cover is
A250multiplied by the estimated proportional contributions of each species if there are
two or more to yield percent covers for individual species•

canopy height – recorded in centimeters, for each species present by using fingers
to “comb” blades vertically next to a

Blades are “combed” with fingers vertically up alongside a graduated surface(this could be the side of a quadrat or underwater slate marked in cm
increments). A composite measure of the blades is made to the nearest cm.
Most blades tend to reach a similar maximum length, those few extra-longblades (<5% of the total number of blades) should be excluded.

•

Shoot counts – from eight fixed cells of the 100 10-cm by 10-cm cells.
A minimum of 5 quadrats with shoot counts per site, with at least two

shoot counts occurring in the Dense Zone and at the edge of seagrass bed(for both the edge of the total canopy and the edges for Halodule wrightii,
Syringodium filiforme, Ruppia maritima, Thalassia testudinum and all
Halophila species)


If the total visual seagrass estimate is 3% or less, all shoots in all cells

need to be counted by species.
Drift Macroalgae:•

Percent occurrence, biomass estimate, and canopy height.

•

Percent occurrence – the number of the 10-cm by 10-cm cells that contain drift
algae (maximum = 100); count each cell that contains drift algae.

•

Biomass estimate – based on the following scale from 0 to 5. See Appendix 5 formore details and examples.

•

0 – no algae

1 - <10 cells of only single strands



2 - ≥10 cells of only single strands



3 – “tumble weed” clumps <50 cells

4 – “tumble weed” clumps ≥50 cells, but can still see the bottom

5 – “tumble weed” clumps 100 cells, cannot see the bottom

Drift algae canopy height – measure the height of the drift algae from the sediment
to the top of the drift algae.

•

Caulerpa species (C. prolifera, C. sertularioides, and C. mexicana, etc.): Percent
occurrence and percent cover.

•

Percent occurrence – the number of 10-cm by 10-cm cells that contain Caulerpa
A251

species (maximum = 100); count each cell that contains a rooted Caulerpa
individual. Note all species name on datasheet and in field book comments.
•

Percent cover – an estimate (from 0-100%) of the overall Caulerpa cover (allspecies included as one) present within the 1-m2 quadrat, not an exact count.
Visualize all the Caulerpa species in the 1-m2 quadrat “pushed” to one corner until it
resembles a dense coverage (completely full cells). Each completely full cell equals
one percent cover. The total count of Caulerpa “coverage” in the 100 cells is thenthe percent cover.
Epiphytes:•

Epiphyte loading on Halodule wrightii (H.w.) – refer to Epiphyte Photo Index (EPI).
The 1-5 scale is a photographic reference of different “levels” of epiphyte loading(epiphyte biomass per seagrass biomass). See Myers and Virnstein (2000) for
further details on epiphyte loadings.


Select a few representative H.w. blades (do not pull out of sediment).



By comparing to the EPI, the general category (1-5) should be picked first(check that both higher and lower alternatives have been eliminated).



If possible, select a sub-category (a-e)

Important considerations:o Length and width of seagrass blades (affects seagrass biomass)o Estimate the whole blade, not just fuzz on tip, and both sides

o Type of epiphyte (a fine film over the entire blade may add up to aheavy loading).

o Make a note in the field book comments if calcareous epiphytes arepresent. These should not be incorporated into the assigned EPI

category.
Water quality field parameters•

Using a multiparameter sonde at 0.5 m from the surface. If water depth

is less than 1m, move the boat out to a minimum of 1m depth.
•

Collect a water sample for color and turbidity analysis in the lab (ifapplicable).
•

Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) – using a LiCor 4π (spherical)

quantum sensor, three PAR readings are taken simultaneously at 20 cm below
surface, 50 cm below surface, and canopy height (30 cm up from the sedimentsurface for depths of 1.8 m or less; a fixed 1.5 m below surface for depths
A252

greater than 1.8 m).
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☒Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☒Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☒Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern

Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☒Coverage (acres)o. ☒Densityp. ☒Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration

Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery
A253

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete, with timesteps of 2 years for mapping and 6 months for transects
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Field check in attached SOP (Sg_SOP.pdf)
1. Fill out the SeagrassDataEntry_QA.xlsx – fill in which set you’re going to QA.
2. Open the corresponding Transect_Datasheets pdf and Database Export file. Files:
Located on Sharepoint, in Water Resource Information, in Seagrass
Database Export file is organized by site# then SampleDate then DIST (where we do ourquadrats; 0m on the datasheet is the same as 0.5m in the database, 0m in the database is just aplaceholder).
• Transect_Datasheets folder: scanned copies of all the datasheets in pdf form. Includes
winter and summer sets (named YYYYSUM or YYYYWIN) as well as the old monthly
monitoring (named YYYYMM). Ignore anything else (like the Manatee folder). Please
DO NOT make any changes or add comments to the PDFs. Treat them like a “ReadOnly” file.
• SeagrassDatasheetQAForm.xlsx – where you will record your questions/corrections; youcan save a copy of this file to your computer or OneDrive to make it easier for multiple
people to work on at once; when you’re all done, just drop it in the CompletedQA folder
on Sharepoint so we can use it.
___________________________________________________________________________
Open pdf for the dataset you are QA-ing.
Working top to bottom on the datasheet:
Are all the fields at the top of the datasheet filled out? Site name, tx #, date, time, etc.
Tx Edge:• Check that the distances recorded as the transect edges meet the definition of an edge(see below)
o There can be two tx edges if a Halophila bed is also present. You would include
a Halophila edge if it extends out past where the canopy species (H.w., S.f., T.t.,
or R.m.) edge is.
• Definition for the tx edge:o If the seagrass coverage (counted percent cover) abruptly drops off (% cover =1% or less) record this distance as the edge oro If the “bed” continues at a sparse density (less than 1% cover or less thanA254

approximately 30 shoots/m2) for more than 30 m, record the distance of thequadrat before the 30m sparse bed begins as the edge. For example, if you havea % cover of 10% at 80m, 1% at 90m, 0.5% at 100m, 0.25% at 110m and 0.5%
at 120m, record 90m as the edge of the seagrass transect.
Drift Algae:• Are the drift algae biomass categories appropriate for algae percent cover? If there is anerror, make a comment on the SeagrassDatasheetQAForm.xlsx.
Biomass estimate – based on the following scale from 0 to 5.
0 - no algae
1 - <10% cover of only single strands
2 - ≥10% cover of only single strands
3 - “tumble weed” clumps <50% cover4 - “tumble weed” clumps ≥50% cover but can still see the bottom
5 - “tumble weed” clumps 100% cover, cannot see the bottom.
Caulerpa:• FYI: % Occurrence used to be called “actual” on the old datasheets (and has always beencalled “COV” in the database). % Cover used to be called “vis” on the old datasheets (andhas always been called “VIS” in the database).
• The % occur must be greater than or equal to the cover, i.e. the cells cannot be more than
100% full.
• The Caulerpa % cover and the total SG % cover cannot be more than 100% when added
together.
• Make any comments on the SeagrassDatasheetQAForm.xlsx for Christy or Mel to checklater.
Seagrass - % occurrence:• FYI: % occurrence used to be called % cover on older datasheets and still in the
database (appears as COV on the database Excel spreadsheet).
• Does your individual species percent occurrence and total percent occurrence makesense? I.e. your total percent occurrence cannot equal 100 if your individual species add
up to <100. However, your individual species CAN add up to more than 100% when
multiple species share a square.
• If Halodule wrightii is present, are the epiphytes filled out? Also, epiphytes cannot be 0.
• Make any comments on the SeagrassDatasheetQAForm.xlsx for Christy or Mel to checklater.
Seagrass – % cover:• FYI: % Cover used to be called Visual on older datasheets but will be in the same
location as % cover is now (it will also be called VIS on the database Excel file)• Individual SG species percent covers may not add up to more than 100%.
• If there are multiple species, be sure to check that all parameters (% Cover, %Occurrence, Canopy Height, and shoots – if applicable) are completed and in the correct
species row.
• Shoot counts “can” be used to see if the % cover makes sense. This method works bestwhen there’s a total shoot count. It can be used when there’s the 8 squares; the % cover
A255

•

just might vary more because the 8 squares are not always a good representation of thewhole quadrat.
o If there’s a total shoot count, take that number and divide it by the number ofshoots you would expect to fill a full square for that species (see table below).
For example, if the total H.w. shoot count is 39 and we say that around 50 shoots
is a full square, it’d be 39/50 = % covero If it’s the eight squares, add up all eight, multiple by 12.5, divide by 100, thendivide that by your full square species shoots value. For example, if the eight H.e.
shoot counts are 5, 8, 23, 10, 0, 4, 8, and 9, it would be(5+8+23+10+0+4+8+9)*12.5 = 837.5; 837.5/100 = 8.375; (8.375/30)*100 = ~28%
cover (so somewhere in that ballpark is good).
Make any comments on the SeagrassDatasheetQAForm.xlsx for Christy or Mel to checklater.

When you find an error or something you have a question about, take the following steps in Excel:
a. Click on the cell in question.
b. Click on the Insert tab.
c. Click on the Comment button on the Toolbar and type in the comment.
d. Hit the Send button to complete.
e. If you want to check what you’ve entered, go to the Review tab. Select “ShowComments” and they should appear on the right side of your screen.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Data will be shared upon request
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
Sg_SOP.pdf

A256

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD)
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Chuck Jacoby, 386-546-5835, cjacoby@sjrwmd.com
Margie Lasi, 386-329-4825, mlasi@sjrwmd.com
Lauren Hall, 321-409-2118, lhall@sjrwmd.com
Courtney Crickett, 386-312-2315, crickett@sjrwmd.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Indian River Lagoon Atmospheric Deposition Sampling
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 2001 and Planned End Date: depends on IRL Council funding
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Samples to estimate wet and dry deposition of key compounds are taken at the IRL Clean Air
Status and Trend Network (CASTNET) station at Coconut Point near Sebastian Inlet (IRL141;
27°50’57” north, -80°27’19” west). Some temporal data gaps exist due to interruptions infunding. Procedures for wet deposition closely follow those of the National AtmosphericDeposition Program (NADP) network (http://nadp.slh.wisc.edu/ntn/). Annually, Wood
Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, Inc. (Wood) reports the weekly, monthly, and annual
estimates of nutrient loading via wet and bulk (wet + dry) atmospheric deposition directly onto
the lagoon. These estimated loads are considered when formulating total maximum dailyloads (TMDLs).
SJRWMD maintains the two rain gauges, wet deposition collector, and data telemetry systemat the site, as well as analyzing samples for wet deposition. Every Tuesday around 9:00 am
Eastern Standard Time (10:00 am Daylight Saving Time), a subcontractor retrieves the wet
deposition bucket from the N-CON Systems collector, caps the bucket, and replaces it with aclean bucket. On-site measurements are collected and recorded, including volume of rain in
the rain gauges, a code for weather, and other meteorological metrics (for complete list see
section 10 below). Protocols for sample collection and processing (including blanks) are fully
described in the attached file (PM-PROJ_DIST St Johns River Water Management
District_FSOP_FY2020.pdf; Palm Bay Appendix, Section 3). About once a quarter and whererain volume allows, a field duplicate is collected. On the day of collection, samples arepackaged under wet ice inside a cooler and shipped via overnight delivery to the SJRWMD
laboratory. Samples are analyzed for dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus species, alkalinity,
specific conductivity, chloride, sulfate, pH, and total major and minor metals (for complete list
see section 10 below). In addition, weekly samples to characterize dry deposition ofphosphate are collected via single-stage filter packs that filter 20 L of air per minute, with filters
analyzed by a laboratory contracted to Wood.
A257

6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☒Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sediments
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f.

☒Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Field data include time of collection, a code for weather, air temperature, percent cloud cover,wind direction, wind velocity, identification for the bucket, volume in the rain gauges, andadditional comments (potential contamination, equipment problems, etc.).
Data on processing include time of filtration, volume of rain in the bucket, compound
identification number (CID number) for reagents, date and time of decontamination, andvolume of the sample.
Continuous data are telemetered for precipitation, wind direction with a standard deviation,wind speed, temperature, difference in temperature between sensors at two heights (delta
temperature), relative humidity, solar radiation, wetness, air flow through the filter pack, andozone concentration.
Laboratory analytes include alkalinity/conductivity, hardness (calculated), dissolved sulfate(SO4D), pH, dissolved total phosphorus (TPD), dissolved orthophosphate (PO4D), dissolved
total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKND), dissolved ammonium (NH4D), dissolved nitrate + nitrite(NOxD), and total major and minor metals.
Additional information (including reporting units, MDLs, PQLs, etc.) is available in the attachedfile (IRLATM_IRL141_Analyte_Info.xlsx).
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
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Water Quality Indicators
a. ☒Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☒Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern

Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration

Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB events
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aa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified
12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Meteorological data are continuous. For other data, the sampling frequency is weekly, andthe data are mostly discrete, except for rainfall that is reported as daily totals.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Field audits are conducted annually by SJRWMD to ensure adherence to standard operatingprocedures in the Field SOP (PM-PROJ_DIST St Johns River Water Management
District_FSOP_FY2020.pdf; Palm Bay Appendix, Section 3). Rainfall data (from the tipping
bucket rain gauge) are collected and validated following SJRWMD’s hydro-meteorologicalstandard operating procedures. SJRWMD also performs QA/QC procedures per the attached
Summary_Lab_QA_Protocols_6-30-20.pdf. Other procedures are documented in a QAPP
prepared for the CASTNET network by Wood (see attached files).
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included
Attachments:−

Analyte Information (IRLATM_IRL141_Analyte_Info.xlsx)−

District Field Standard Operating Procedures (PM-PROJ_DIST St Johns River
Water Management District_FSOP_FY2020.pdf)−

Summary of Lab’s analysis and data QA/QC procedures(Summary_Lab_QA_Protocols_6-30-20.pdf)−

Ten (10) CASTNET QAPP documents

Included below:−

Locator map−

Site ground-view

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Location of CASTNET/SJRWMD wet/dry deposition station (IRL141).

A262

Ground view (from the south side) of CASTNET/SJRWMD wet/dry deposition site (IRL141).
Photo credit: Charles Vogt, Florida Dept. of Health at Indian River County.

A263

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Laura Yarbro, 727-896-8626, laura.yarbro@myfwc.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
EPA National Coastal Condition Assessment (NCCA) 2020
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 6/1/2020

and Planned End Date: _9/30/2020

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
As part of the NCCA 2020, our staff will visit one site in the Mosquito Lagoon to sample surface
water, surface sediments and fish. These samples will be sent to EPA contract laboratories
for chemical analyses. While on site, we will collect physical data, including salinity, watertemperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, light attenuation, and a Secchi disk reading.
Chemical analyses include dissolved and particulate nutrients, chlorophyll-a, microcystins,enterococci levels, total alkalinity for water samples. Sediment analyses will include particle
size, organic content, sediment chemistry, sediment toxicity, and sediment contaminants(pesticides, PAHs, heavy metals). In addition, the benthic invertebrate community will beidentified. Fish will be collected for whole body contaminants analyses, and analysis of muscle
tissue for mercury levels. A report and the data will be released by EPA once all analyses arecompleted and QA has been finished.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoon

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f.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
The site is called NCA20_FL-10064 and it is located at 28.8461 N, -80.7905 W.
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Not sure how to answer all of the following:
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrass
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i.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program
Please see https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/ncca.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
A266

and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☒Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete, one visit, one time
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/ncca.

14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes, these data will be publicly available once released by EPA.
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15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A268

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Sirenia Project.
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Daniel H. Slonedslone@usgs.gov
352-264-3551
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Health Effects and Behavioral Response of Florida Manatees (Trichechus manatus
latirostris) to Persistent Algal Bloom and Associated Loss of Seagrass Resources in BrevardCounty, Florida
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: __2011___and Planned End Date: __2022___

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
We are capturing manatees in the northern IRL area and conducting healthassessments to rate body condition and collect biomedical samples. Gut samples will beanalyzed for microbiome profiles to quantify levels of detrimental bacterial strains andperform manatee immune-marker panels to assess pathways stimulated by pathogens,stress, or chronic illness.
Following health assessments, released manatees are monitored with Global Positioning
System (GPS) telemetry tags to track manatee movements and behaviors, and to identify
foraging, travelling, resting, and other use areas. These data will be used to survey habitat
used by tagged manatees to identify seagrass and macroalgal species assemblages inmanatee foraging areas.
We are documenting available submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and physicalenvironmental factors, such as depth, temperature and substrate in areas associated withmanatee use with our “Quad-Cam” underwater imager
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)
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c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes, but they are not ready for release at this time.
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☒Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☒Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☒Contaminants of Concern

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Habitatsh. ☒Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Water depth, submerged aquatic vegetation density and species assemblages. Manatee
locations, manatee body condition and health parameters. Manatee individual identification.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed
above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewer
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h. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☒Densityp. ☒Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☒Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Mostly discrete, except telemetry locations @ 15 min interval, and continuous sonar data
during field sampling.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link,describe briefly, or attach.
Telemetry data processed through custom R script to filter for excessive speed or GPS
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error. Sonar depth data compared to manual depth sampling at sampling stations.
contact: dslone@usgs.gov
Manatee health data are collected and processed with standardized protocols, and analyses
are run with control samples and compared to existing data.
contact: mhunter@usgs.gov
Manatee photo-identification data are matched independently by two analysts before being
accepted for inclusion in the database.
contact: ateague@usgs.gov
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes, for collaboration. After publication it will be publicly released.
Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

Seagrass loss in the northern Indian River Lagoon and Banana River has been so extensive thatmanatees were observed feeding in locations that were so shallow that they were partially
exposed. (USGS Photo)

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USGS is working with partners to conduct health assessments on manatees in the DeSoto Park
canal. Captured manatees are fitted with Argos satellite-linked GPS tags to record their
movements and assess habitat use. Field observations of tagged manatees and habitat surveys
will show forage preferences. (USGS Photo)

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One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:USGS Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
David Sumner
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
USGS Cooperative Water Program
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: See Table Belowand Planned End Date: None

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
The USGS maintains a network of continuous monitoring stations on tributaries to the IRL.
This includes water level and, in most cases, discharge. This work is in cooperation with theSJRWMD. Currently there are no water quality data being collected by the USGS at thesesites but has been in the past. Past parameters include Nitrate, Temperature, Specific
Conductance, as well as Precipitation. The period of record varies by site but this data has
been provided intermittently for 27-71 years. Below is a table of sites with the date of theearliest data collected.
Station Number
Lat / Long

Begin

Station Name

Year

291323081010500

HALIFAX RV AT MAIN ST BRIDGE AT

29.22225000 -81.02001940

DAYTONA BEACH, FL

02248380
28.73638079 -80.75477300

HAULOVER CANAL NEAR MIMS, FL

1991

Water Level, Discharge

CRANE CREEK AT MELBOURNE, FL

1951

Water Level, Discharge

TURKEY CREEK AT PALM BAY, FL

1981

EAU GALLIE RIV AT HEATHER GLEN CIR AT
MELBOURNE, FL

02250030
28.01724054 -80.59588719
02251500

NORTH PRONG SAINT SEBASTIAN RIVER

27.85613569 -80.52422000

NEAR MICCO, FL

02251767
27.83058119 -80.53422030

Mission Assignments
Water Level, Discharge02249007
02249500

Water Level only during periods of FEMA

1995

28.12695888 -80.64672050
28.07946057 -80.62949830

2019

Parameter

FELLSMERE CANAL NEAR MICCO, FL

02251000

SOUTH PRONG ST SEBASTIAN RIVER NEAR

27.76947258 -80.50588680

SEBASTIAN, FL

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1987
1991
1993

Water Level, Discharge
Water Level, Discharge
Water Level, Discharge
Water Level, Discharge

02251800

INDIAN RIVER AT WABASSO, FL

1969

MAIN CANAL AT VERO BEACH, FL

1949

SOUTH CANAL NEAR VERO BEACH, FL

1950

ST LUCIE CANAL ABV S-80, NR STUART, FL

2017

27.75447297 -80.42755160
02253000
27.64780983 -80.40560700
02253500
27.60447790 -80.38657900
02276998
27.10866667 -80.28725000
02277100

ST LUCIE RIVER AT SPEEDY POINT,

27.20227000 -80.25865920

STUART, FL

02277110

ST LUCIE ESTUARY AT A1A (STEELE PT),

27.19977036 -80.20671300

STUART, FL

270715080161000

ST LUCIE CANAL DNS OF I-95 BRIDGE NR

27o-07’-14.43” / 80o-16’-11.89”

STUART, FL

271020080153300

SO FORK ST LUCIE RIVER AT SR 714 NR

27o-10’-26.26” / 80o-15’-34.42”

PALM CITY, FL

271236080163700

NORTH FORK ST LUCIE RIVER AT STUART,

27o-12’-44.21” / 80o-16’-27.79”

FL

Water Level
Water Level, Discharge
Water Level, Discharge
WL, DISCH, TEMP, SP. COND, TURB, FDOM,

1997
1997

PH, DO, CHLO/BGA
Water Level, Temperature, Salinity, Sp.
Conductance (2007)
Water Level, Temperature, Salinity, Sp.
Conductance (2006)

2017
1977
2017

6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☒Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
No specific study area.
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☒Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
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f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☒Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☒Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

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10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

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v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Near real-time continuous with frequencies varying from 15 minutes to hourly.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Parameters are field verified every two months or sometimes more frequently. If necessary,corrections are applied.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
All data collected by the USGS is available online via the following web link:
https://maps.waterdata.usgs.gov/mapper/index.html
Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A279

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
University of Central Florida, Marine Turtle Research Group2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Dr. Kate Mansfield, 407-823-4431, kate.mansfield@ucf.edu
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
UCF Marine Turtle Research Group Long-Term In-Water IRL Monitoring Program
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: __1982________and Planned End Date: __n/a______

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
We sample twice a month, year round for sea turtles in the IRL. We set ~1/2 km longtangle nets on the east side of the IRL about a km or two south of the Sebastian Inlet.
Net soak time is 3 hours and we sample (blood, tissue, scute, diet, tumor, basic
morphometrics) for every sea turtle captured in the net. We also collect ambientenvironmental data (water/air temp, salinity, pH, wind) at the site of net set). All turtles
are worked up onboard a boat and released back to the IRL. This is a long-termmonitoring program that has consistently sampled the same region since 1982.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________

A280

7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
We can provide a general latitude and longitude for the location of our sampling site.
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☒Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

A281

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Sea turtle morphometrics, disease ecology (viral load in blood), genetic diversity(blood/tissue), body condition indices, injuries, foraging ecology (diet via lavage or
stable isotope analyses), animal movement (via telemetry, mark recapture), population
demographics (mark recapture analyses). All data/samples are used to understandchanges in the IRL sea turtle aggregations over time (genetic stock structure, broad
health indices/indicators/disease presence, foraging ecology, etc.).
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
A282

and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☒Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☒Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
We sample twice a month year-round, weather (and pandemics) allowing.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
We maintain a lab database that is currently under renovation. All data are entered andverified by a second person.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
A283

Our data require federal and state endangered species permits. We would consider thison a case by case basis since our permits limit the amount of samples we may collect.
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
Attached to email.

A284

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: University of Florida
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address):
Edward J. Phlips, 352-273-3603, phlips@ufl.edu
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs).
Indian River Lagoon Microalgae and Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring – funded by IRLNEP
Contract IRL2019-23
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 1997 and Planned End Date: 2024
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Continuous time series from 1997 to current. Discrete in situ sampling. Twice monthly. Multiple
representative fixed sampling sites from the central IRL to Titusville, central Banana River,northern Banana River, southern Mosquito Lagoon and central Mosquito Lagoon.
Parameters: Phytoplankton composition, biovolume, biomass (carbon) (Inverted microscopy
analysis, plus fluorescence microscopy analysis for picoplanktonic phytoplankton).
Temperature, salinity, oxygen top and bottom of water column. Secchi disk depth
Chlorophyll a
Quantitative model development of phytoplankton dynamics and driving factors
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________A285

7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☒Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☒Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☒Seagrassi.
j.

☒Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

A286

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☒Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☒Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☒Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☒Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
A287

n. ☒Coverage (acres)o. ☒Densityp. ☒Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☒Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☒Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☒Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☒Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Continuous time series from 1997 to current. Discrete in situ sampling. Twice monthly. Multiple
representative fixed sampling sites from the central IRL to Titusville, central Banana River,northern Banana River, southern Mosquito Lagoon and central Mosquito Lagoon.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
EPA certification through existing IRLNEP monitoring contract
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes, provided basic collaboration and communication
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
A288

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Volusia County Environmental Management
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Kelly Young

386-736-5927 x12096

kyoung@volusia.org

3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
VC UEC Halifax River Project
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 12/03/1991

and Planned End Date: Ongoing

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
This program started in 1991, and included monitoring of 20 stations from the Flagler/Volusia
County line south to Ponce Inlet. Initially stations were sampled on a monthly basis, but weredecreased to quarterly monitoring in 2000. Fifteen stations are currently sampled on a bimonthly basis.

Field monitoring includes the use of a YSI sonde and grab samplingtechniques following DEP and SJRWMD protocols. Samples are shipped overnight to the
SJRWMD laboratory in Palatka.

Sample processing and QA/QC are performed at thelaboratory.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☒Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________

A289

7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☒Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☒Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☒Wastewaterc. ☒Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

A290m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms (we collect algae bloom samples and ship to UF for identification)

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Air temperature
Cloud coverWind velocity
Wind direction
Weather (code)
Chlorophyll a, corrected for pheophytin
Chlorophyll a, uncorrected for pheophytin
Chlorophyll b
Chlorophyll c
Pheophytin a
Chlorophyll/Pheophytin ratio
Dissolved oxygen
Dissolved oxygen saturation
pH
Salinity
Specific conductance
Water temperature
True Color
Nitrogen, ammonia as N
Nitrogen, Nitrite (NO2) + Nitrate (NO3) as N
Nitrogen, Kjeldahl
Phosphorus as P

A291

Phosphorus, orthophosphate as P
Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
Turbidity
Secchi depth
Total depth
Additional parameters at some stations include:
Hardness by calculation
Alkalinity
Sulfur, sulfate as SO4
ChlorideDissolved Organic Carbon (DOC)
Total Organic Carbon (TOC)
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS)
Aluminum
Antimony
Arsenic
BariumBeryllium
Cadmium
Calcium
Chromium
Copper
Iron
Lead
Magnesium
Manganese
Molybdenum
NickelPotassium
Selenium
SodiumSiliconA292

SilicaSilverStrontium
Thallium
Vanadium
Zinc
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☒Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☒Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☒Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☒Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
A293

Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete, bi-monthly
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
QA/QC officers at the SJRWMD laboratory in Palatka QC all data and results.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes, and the data is also available in the state’s WIN database.
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A294

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
Volusia County Environmental Management
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Kelly Young

386-736-5927 x12096

kyoung@volusia.org

3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
VC NIRL Mosquito Lagoon Project
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 10/17/1988

and Planned End Date: Ongoing

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
The Mosquito Lagoon Project started in 1988, and included monitoring of 20 stations from justsouth of Ponce Inlet south throughout the lagoon north of Haulover canal. Initially stations
were sampled on a monthly basis, but were decreased to quarterly monitoring in 2000. Fivestations are currently sampled on a bi-monthly basis. Note that 5 other stations are sampledmonthly by Volusia County on behalf of SJRWMD.
In 2011, a station at Turnbull Creek at US1 bridge in Oak Hill (IRLTBC) was added to theproject and was at that time sampled on a quarterly basis. Today this site is sampled monthly
and is collected on behalf of the SJRWMD. Volusia County added an additional 2 stations
nearby at manmade canals and ditches that are sampled bi-monthly. Together, these 3
stations are at the northernmost end of the Indian River Lagoon and are separate of Mosquito
Lagoon. Field monitoring includes the use of a YSI sonde and grab sampling techniques
following DEP and SJRWMD protocols. Samples are shipped overnight to the SJRWMD
laboratory in Palatka. Sample processing and QA/QC are performed at the laboratory.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)
A295

e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes
8.

Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☒Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☒Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.
9.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☒Wastewaterc. ☒Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrass

A296

i.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms (we collect algae bloom samples and ship to UF for identification)

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Air temperature
Cloud coverWind velocity
Wind direction
Weather
Chlorophyll a, corrected for pheophytin
Chlorophyll a, uncorrected for pheophytin
Chlorophyll b
Chlorophyll c
Pheophytin a
Chlorophyll/Pheophytin ratio
Dissolved oxygen
Dissolved oxygen saturation
pH
Salinity
Specific conductance
Water temperature
A297

True Color
Nitrogen, ammonia as N
Nitrogen, Nitrite (NO2) + Nitrate (NO3) as N
Nitrogen, Kjeldahl
Phosphorus as P
Phosphorus, orthophosphate as P
Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
Turbidity
Secchi depth
Total depth
Additional parameters at IRLTBC, IRLV05, IRLV11, IRLV17, IRLML169 include:
Hardness by calculation
Alkalinity
Sulfur, sulfate as SO4
ChlorideDissolved Organic Carbon (DOC)
Total Organic Carbon (TOC)
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS)
Aluminum
Antimony
Arsenic
BariumBeryllium
Cadmium
Calcium
Chromium
Copper
Iron
Lead
Magnesium
Manganese
Molybdenum
A298

NickelPotassium
Selenium
SodiumSiliconSilicaSilverStrontium
Thallium
Vanadium
Zinc
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☒Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for IRLTBC and Turnbull Creek areab. ☒Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs) for IRLTBC and Turnbull Creek areac. ☒Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs) for Mosquito Lagoond. ☒Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☒Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)A299

o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete, bi-monthly
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
QA/QC officers at the SJRWMD laboratory in Palatka QC all data and results.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes, and the data is also available in the state’s WIN database.
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A300

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Volusia County Environmental Management
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Kelly Young

386-736-5927 x12096

kyoung@volusia.org

3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
VC STORM Volusia County Stormwater Monitoring
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: 10/09/2017

and Planned End Date: Ongoing

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Two major drainage canals that drain to Mosquito Lagoon have been monitored since 2017
on a bi-monthly basis. Both sites are within Mosquito Lagoon WBID boundaries. Field
monitoring includes the use of a YSI sonde and grab sampling techniques following DEP andSJRWMD protocols. Samples are shipped overnight to the SJRWMD laboratory in Palatka.
Sample processing and QA/QC are performed at the laboratory. Water velocity is alsomeasured at these stations.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☒Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare? Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
A301

a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☒Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☒Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☒Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity
A302

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms (we collect algae bloom samples and ship to UF for identification)

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Air temperature
Cloud coverWind velocity
Wind direction
Weather
Chlorophyll a, corrected for pheophytin
Chlorophyll a, uncorrected for pheophytin
Chlorophyll b
Chlorophyll c
Pheophytin a
Chlorophyll/Pheophytin ratio
Dissolved oxygen
Dissolved oxygen saturation
pH
Salinity
Specific conductance
Water temperature
True Color
Nitrogen, ammonia as N
Nitrogen, Nitrite (NO2) + Nitrate (NO3) as N
Nitrogen, Kjeldahl
Phosphorus as P
Phosphorus, orthophosphate as P
Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
Turbidity
Secchi depth
A303

Total depth
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☒Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☒Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☒Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends
A304

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete, bi-monthly
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
QA/QC officers at the SJRWMD laboratory in Palatka QC all data and results.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes, and the data is also available in the state’s WIN database.
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A305

Appendix 3: One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaires(Research Projects)
The questionnaires in this appendix were completed during 2020 by persons doing research
projects and are not currently included in the One Lagoon Monitoring Network. This list isorganized alphabetically by organization and monitoring projects/programs. No edits have been
made on the questionnaires. *Questionnaire covers multiple projects.
Organizations

Monitoring Projects/Programs

Page #

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission

Microplastics in Cape Canaveral
National Seashore
Diamond Back Terrapin Population
Assessment in the Banana River
Environmental Health Status ofHalifax River
FAU-HBOI Marine Wildlife
Veterinary Medicine & Research
ProgramDiamondback Terrapin Status
Assessment & Genetic Assessment
Juvenile Goliath Grouper Habitat Use
and Migration
Spotted Seatrout and Sheepshead
Response and Resilience

Loyola University Chicago

Anolis Population Monitoring

A346

NASA-Kennedy Space Center

Carbon and Water Flux between
Spartina Marsh and Atmosphere

A350

National Parks Service-Canaveral National
Seashore

Exotic Plant Monitoring

A355

University of Central Florida

Microplastics in IRL

A359*

University of Central Florida

Oyster Condition Assessment

A359*

University of Central Florida

Oyster Restoration Success

A359*

University of Central Florida & St. John'sRiver Water Management District

Shoreline Characterization in the IRL

A363

University of Georgia

CNS Wave Radar

A369

A Rocha USA
Eastern Florida State College
Florida A&M University
Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch
Oceanographic Institute

A306

A306
A312
A316
A321
A328
A333
A340

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: A Rocha USA
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Robert Sluka
727 203 2224
Bob.sluka@arocha.org
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Microplastics in Cape Canaveral National Seashore: distribution, abundance, type, andmethodological considerations.
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: _Jan 2019_________ and Planned End Date: __Dec
2022________
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Two types of microplastic survey methods will be employed. The first is a simple method which
focuses specifically on plastic pellets (nurdles). A 15-minute search is conducted along thehigh tide line (particularly near any wrack) and any plastic pellets counted. This provides anindication of the abundance and distribution of this form of microplastic. The second methodseeks to examine more comprehensively all types of microplastics, their abundance anddistribution. At least two, 100 m transects are lain in the high tide line area and 5 locations
along this transect line randomly selected. At each of these five locations, a 50 cm x 50 cm
quadrat is lain. Within this area, sand is removed to a depth of 5 cm and sieved throughgeological grade sieves to retain any particles that are between 1 and 5 mm in size. Samplesof plastic material will be placed in glass containers and removed from the beach to beanalyzed under a stereo microscope to count and classify any microplastics.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)
A307

d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
do not have shapefiles
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☒Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya.

☒Impaired Watersb.

☐Wastewater

c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

☐Stormwater☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sediments☐Atmospheric Deposition☐Contaminants of Concern

Habitats
A308

h.
i.
j.
k.
l.

☐Seagrass☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshes☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn.

☒Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resources
o.
p.
q.
r.
s.
t.

☒Biodiversity☐Species of Concern☐Invasive Species☐Forage Fishes☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheries☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Microplastics type, abundance and distribution
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL

A309

j.

☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☒Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Biannually
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
n/a

A310

14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
See attached

A311

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Eastern Florida State College
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Penny McDonald 321-433-5646 mcdonaldp@easternflorida.edu
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs) Population assessment of Diamondback
Terrapins in the Banana River.
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: __2017__

and Planned End Date: ___2019___

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable. EFSC is a partner with FWC, we
provided >30 student volunteers to assist FWC with a statewide population study of the
Diamondback Terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin. Using mark and recapture technique to assess
population size, used modified crab traps and fyke nets to trap terrapins during the May
through August of 2017, 2018 & 2019. Captured terrapins were pit tagged and metamorphic
data and DNA were collected for each individual. DNA will be used by FWC to resolve
questions on the sub species status within Florida.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare? FWC has that data
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
A312

a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☒Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity
A313

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Population size and sex structure
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity
A314q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency? Discrete,mark & recapture over 3 seasons.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach. Data was provided to FWC as part of the state population assessment
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities? FWC owns the data
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A315

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
Florida A&M University
School of the Environment, Environmental Micropaleontology Lab.
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Michael Martinez-Colon, PhD
727-466-7323
michael.martinez@famu.edu
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Environmental health status of Halifax River
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: __________and Planned End Date: __________We have done a very preliminary survey on shore samples to have some idea of potentialsites. When we wanted to start is when the pandemic started. So, in reality, we still do nothave a start date.
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
The proposed study is to sample several discrete locations along transects of potential
sources of pollution. A vessel is needed to collect samples from the middle of the Halifax Riverso this is a little cumbersome given the current situations in FL. Sediment samples will beanalyzed for heavy metals as well for benthic foraminiferal ecology. These organisms will help
in assess the environmental health of the HR.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☒Other – Please describe: We intend to do a comprehensive study in Halifax River andA316

moving southward towards Indian River Lagoon.
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
No.
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☒Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☒Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☒Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☒Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines
A317

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, heavy metals in sediments, and benthic
foraminiferal diversity as bioindicators of pollution and environmental health.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muck
A318

l.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☒Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☒Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☒Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete. Depending on student availability probably once a year.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
This is done by a third-party laboratory to be used for heavy metal analysis. For biological
data, we will follow the protocols of Schonfeld et al (2012):
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377839812000552?via%3Dihub

14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes.
A319

15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
Will this work? www.foramlaboratory.com

A320

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
Florida Atlantic University, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Annie Page-Karjian, DVM, PhD
772-206-1163
cpagekarjian@fau.edu
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
FAU-HBOI Marine Wildlife Veterinary Medicine & Research Program
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: _September 2018_

and Planned End Date: _May 2021_

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Netting green and loggerhead sea turtles in the central Indian River Lagoon (mostly near Fort
Pierce), conducting a complete physical examination of each turtle including analyses of body
condtion, and collecting biological samples for a health assessment and HAB toxin analysis.
Analyses include: stable isotopes analysis of skin, blood, and scutes; complete blood count,plasma protein electrophoresis, PCR and serology testing for 2 different herpesviruses
endemic to sea turtles in Florida, microscopic analysis of stomach contents (obtained via
gastric lavage) for identification and quantification, quantification of 10 different HABassociated biotoxins (microcystins, saxitoxin, neosaxitoxin, domoic acid, cylindrospermopsin,
anatoxin, nodularin, okadaic acid, teleocidin, and brevetoxin) in plasma and stomach contents
samples using mass spectrometry.
We are also doing the same work in other places around Florida (lower Florida Keys, Lake
Worth Lagoon, Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve), in order to compare and contrast
data based on location and relative water quality.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)
A321

d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
No
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☒Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☒Contaminants of Concern
A322

Habitatsh. ☒Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☒Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
HAB-associated biotoxins; health and disease (including fibropapillomatosis) in free-ranging
sea turtles of the IRL
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient management
A323

i.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☒Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☒Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☒Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☒Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☒Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
We sample in the IRL for 5 days each spring, and 5 days each fall.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Not sure this applies to our study.

A324

14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A325

A326

A327

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Traci Castellon, 352-328-7052, traci.castellon@myfwc.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Diamondback Terrapin Status Assessment & Genetic Assessment
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: _2018_______ and Planned End Date: _2022_________
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.

We are gathering data to inform a biological status assessment of the diamondback
terrapin in Florida by accomplishing the following: 1) collection of sighting data frompartners to map the current known distribution in Florida, 2) mark-recapture
population assessments of 3 significant populations, and support of smaller-scale
investigations by partners, 3) development of a spatial habitat model to quantify
habitat availability, 4) a literature review to assess recent and projected future
habitat losses, and 5) collection of genetic samples to validate subspecies taxonomy
and assess population-level genetics where possible.
The genetic assessment will rigorously assess genetic differentiation among terrapins
range-wide to determine if groups are distinct enough to retain or be reclassified as
independent subspecies/MUs, given that recent genetic work has failed to support thecurrent classification. The genetic analyses will also inform estimates of effective
population sizes, genetic diversity within populations, frequencies and patterns of
movement among populations, and (if possible) historical bottlenecks/recovery of key
populations. The general strategy will be to use whole genome resequencing for aselected subset of samples to assess subspecies validity, delineate boundaries, andpotentially identify novel MUs. Whole genome resequencing provides the needed
depth of genomic coverage to identify variation and similarity across all genes,
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including ones that are critical for local adaptation and fitness-related differentiation.
Then, restriction site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) will be used to assess
population-level genetics for populations with adequate numbers of samples (n ≥ 10).
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☒Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☒Banana Riverg. ☒Other – Please describe: _The project is statewide, but the significant work we’re
doing in the most work in the IRL is a mark-recapture study in the Banana River.
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?

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Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Diamondback terrapin sightings, tissue samples, photographs, and mark-recapture datafrom the Banana River
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed
above?
Water Quality Indicators
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a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB events
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aa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified
12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
The population assessment was a 1-time event.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link,describe briefly, or attach.
We check our data entry
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

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One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission – Fish and Wildlife ResearchInstitute
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Erick Ault, 561-882-5972, Erick.ault@myfwc.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Juvenile Goliath Grouper Habitat Use and Migration
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: __ 2017_____ and Planned End Date: ___2024__
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Juvenile goliath groupers were captured via rod and reel or traps and surgicallyimplanted with Vemco V16 acoustic tags (~7 yr tag life) to monitor movements within
the IRL and St Lucie River to movements offshore to adult habitat. A network of
acoustic receivers was deployed within the areas of capture to form fixed listening
stations to monitor the movement and habitat usage patterns of this species. The
receivers are serviced and downloaded every 4-6 months and water quality parameters
are matched with any movements of the fish. Additionally, recreational anglers are
assisting in the collection of juvenile goliath fin-clips for genetic analysis.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☒Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☒Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☒Other – Please describe: _St. Lucie River____A333

7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare? Yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., 7plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☒Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☒Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☒Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

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m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☒Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☒Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Habitat use of juveniles, population structure, genetic diversity, environmental factors
influencing movement or migrations of a protected species.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)

dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows

and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
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Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☒Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☒Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☒Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Real time and continuous. Data is downloaded from receivers every 4-6 months
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Scripts in R are used to “clean” data and remove any false or duplicate detections.
Movements of fish are matched to environmental factors (water temp, salinity) fromonline resources providing these measurements (i.e., LOBO, Weather Buoy, etc.)
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
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A338

A339

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission – Fish and Wildlife ResearchInstitute
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Erick Ault, 561-882-5972, Erick.ault@myfwc.com
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
SpottedSeatrout(Cynoscion

nebulosus)

andSheepshead(Archosargus

probatocephalus) Response and Resilience
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: __ 2020_____ and Planned End Date: _____
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Spotted Seatrout and Sheepshead were captured via rod and reel or seine net andsurgically implanted with Vemco V9 acoustic transmitters (~2 yr tag life) to monitor
influences on movement caused by freshwater inflow within the IRL and St Lucie River.
A network of acoustic receivers was deployed within the areas of capture to form fixed
listening stations to monitor the movement and habitat usage patterns of these
species. The receivers are serviced and downloaded every 4-6 months and water
quality parameters are matched with any movements of the fish.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☒Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☒Other – Please describe: _St. Lucie River____A340

7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☒Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☒Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☒Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

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m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☒Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☒Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Movement and habitat use of recreationally important fish influenced by freshwater
inflow from storm water or drainage from Lake Okeechobee
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☒Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
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Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☒Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☒Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Real time and continuous. Data is downloaded from receivers every 4-6 months
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Scripts in R are used to “clean” data and remove any false or duplicate detections.
Movements of fish are matched to environmental factors (water temp, salinity) fromonline resources providing these measurements (i.e., LOBO, Weather Buoy, etc.)
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities? yes
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
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A344

A345

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:
Loyola University Chicago
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Yoel Stuart
ystuart@luc.edu
916-764-0471
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
I wouldn’t say that my monitoring program is ongoing, in the same sense that the turtle projects
are, etc. I’m just trying to get down to a small set of spoil islands fairly regularly to survey theanolis populations and track their evolution.
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: __________and Planned End Date: __________

Intermittent
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Sample Anolis populations on 11 islands in Mosquito Lagoon, measuring habitat use andtoepad morphology, as well as rough estimates of population density. Some of the islands
have the invader, Anolis sagrei.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________A346

7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
I don’t have them, but I can give island GPS coordinates.
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☒Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)

f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☒Spoil Islands

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m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☒Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
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n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete. 2010. 2019. 202?
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
See attached to email.

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One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name:0
Kennedy Space Center.
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
NASA POC: Jeff Collins, 321- 861- 6554, Jeffrey.s.collins@nasa.gov.
PI: Tammy E. Foster, 321- 861- 6918, tammy.foster-1@nasa.gov
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program:
Carbon and Water Flux between Spartina marsh and atmosphere.
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: _4/18/2017_and Planned End Date: __TBD______

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Previously on KSC, scrub and scrubby flatwoods were found to be net carbon sinks undercurrent management practices. Coastal wetlands, which are also expected to be sinks forcarbon dioxide, are common on KSC. Coastal wetlands tend to be highly productive systems
which fix large amounts of carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, with anaerobic soils that
store carbon for long periods of time. In 2017, an eddy covariance tower was installed in an
impoundment marsh (T-16) to measure the flux of carbon dioxide and water between theecosystem and the atmosphere. The sample site is a large uniform Spartina bakeri marshwith a canopy height of 1.7 m. The sensor height at the site is 4.1 m above ground level, which
provides a 410 m sample radius around the tower. For 2019, data continues to be collected
as part of this long-term study. Results from this study will help quantify the role these systems
currently play in carbon storage and will provide a baseline for understanding the effects that
future community shifts resulting from sea level rise will have on local carbon dynamics.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoon

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f.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
There is a shapefile of the Eddy Flux tower location.
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☒Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)

f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☐Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☒Seagrassi.

☐Filter Feeders

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j.

☐Living Shorelines

k. ☒Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Carbon and water flux; net ecosystem exchange
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loads
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k. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Real time and continuous. Samples are aggregated for 30 minute values.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
Data is uploaded to Ameriflux and QA/QC’ed through their process.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Data is available through the Ameriflux website from 2017 through 2019. The 2020 data
should be uploaded in early 2021.
A353

15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

A354

One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: Canaveral National Seashore
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Kristen Kneifl
321-403-5680
Kristen_kneifl@nps.gov
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: _1990_______ and Planned End Date: ____N/A______
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
Exotic plant monitoring and control.
years for exotic plants species.

The lagoon islands and shoreline are treated every 3

Listed T & E plant species Harissia Fragrans as needed andfor 5 year species status assessments.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☒Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
yes
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)A355

b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☒Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☒Spoil Islands

m. ☒Land Conservationn. ☒Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☒Species of Concern
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q. ☒Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Reduce invasive plant infestations. Evaluate status of T & E species.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreline
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r.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☒Population status

v. ☒Population trends

w. ☒Population Recovery

x. ☒Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☒Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
N/A
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
No
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
yes
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

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One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: UCF CEELAB
2. Contact

Information:(name,

phone

number,email

address)

Linda

Walters,linda.walters@ucf.edu, 407-443-6943
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Oyster condition assessment, once per year in Mosquito Lagoon, monitor 12-20 reefs using
protocol developed by UCF, GTM NERR, SJRWMD for oyster density, size-frequency,
percent cover, burial depth, reef height, unfunded but no end date in site, started in summer
2015. Dr. Walters does QA/QC on data.
Oyster restoration success – monitor restored oyster reefs in Mosquito Lagoon for recruitment,
growth, size classes. Started in 2007, no end date in site. Quarterly to once/year dependingon the project. Dr. Walters does QA/QC on data.
Microplastics in IRL – new IRL NEP funding to look at microplastics associated with storm
drains and to look at microbial communities on microplastics. Start fall 2020, end fall 2021.
Located throughout the IRL. Monthly sampling of storm drains, quarterly sampling for
microbes. QAPP approved.
Yes to sharing once data is entered and checked.
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: __________and Planned End Date: __________

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana River

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g. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshes
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l.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
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Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

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One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: University of Central Florida
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Melinda Donnelly, Melinda.Donnelly@ucf.edu, 321-403-0278
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program: (Please complete a separate questionnaire for eachof your organization’s monitoring programs)
Shoreline Characterization in the Indian River Lagoon
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: _January, 2016_________

andPlanned

End

Date:

___June, 2018_______
5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
The purpose of this project was to evaluate current conditions of estuarine shorelines in the northern section of the
Indian River Lagoon system, including Mosquito Lagoon, north Indian River, and Banana River. From January
2016 through June 2018, we evaluated structural and functional characteristics of 374 miles of shoreline, from
Ponce Inlet in Volusia County to Sebastian Inlet in Brevard County (11,000+ data points). These methods weredeveloped by St. Johns River Water Management for northeastern Florida and was adapted for applications in
Brevard and Volusia Counties. Shoreline evaluations were completed at transects located every 30 m in developed
areas and every 100 to 300 m of shoreline in undeveloped regions, based on frequency of transitions to different
habitats or armoring type. Transects were recorded less frequently if shoreline structure remained unchanged forextended distances (i.e. continuous seawalls, mosquito impoundment dikes). Transects were recorded more often
in areas where shoreline habitat or armoring type changed frequently, in order to document each transition for GIS
mapping of shoreline conditions. At each transect, GPS points were recorded, photos were taken, and the widthof the intertidal region was determined based on presence of wrack, location of barnacles, or distribution of obligate
wetland plants. The slope of the shoreline was estimated by measuring the overall rise in elevation over theintertidal zone. Erosion was categorized based on height of scarp, using the following scale: 1- scarp > 30 cm, 2scarp= 8 cm to 30 cm, 3- scarp< 8 cm. The presence or absence of live and dead oyster shells on shoreline
structures along transect were recorded. Shorelines were surveyed from foot, kayak and boat, depending on
location, water levels, and weather conditions. Private property was surveyed from the intertidal region from thewater to prevent issues with trespassing and limit confrontations with property owners. Photos were not taken
when people were visible from the shoreline. When observed, the location, size, and type of outfalls were recorded,
and included storm water drains, culverts in mosquito impoundments, drainage ditches and man-made canals.

6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)
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b. ☒Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana Riverg. ☐Other – Please describe: __________
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
Yes, data and shapefile are available at https://stars.library.ucf.edu/ceelab-researchdata/2
8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☒Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☐Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☐Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☐Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)

9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☒Stormwaterd. ☐Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Deposition

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g. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☒Seagrassi.
j.

☒Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☒Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☒Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☒Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☒Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.

type and material of hard-armoring shoreline structures, slope of shoreline, width of eachhabitat type or shoreline structure, width of intertidal zone, identification of plant species ineach habitat type, presence of oysters and seagrass, erosion

11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☒Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☒Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeA365

g. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☒Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☒Species diversity

q. ☒Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use

s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
Discrete, one-time data collection
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
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After data collection, the following QA/QC procedures were applied to the dataset:
1) Formatting and abbreviations: makes sure the following is correct; column alignment, point
abbreviation, point case, consistency in point types, uniform slope digits, and comments
section language.
2) Resolve any missing data or GPS coordinate inaccuracies.
3) Change vegetative species names to associated vegetation number.
4) Cross-check a subset of points with ArcGIS imagery for accuracy.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes, data and shapefile are available at https://stars.library.ucf.edu/ceelab-researchdata/2
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.
Map of project location inserted on next page

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One Lagoon Monitoring Plan Questionnaire
1. Organization Name: The Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, University of Georgia
2. Contact Information: (name, phone number, email address)
Ben Hefner (Tech), (912) 598-2311, ben.hefner@skio.uga.edu
Kris Maedke Russell (Tech), (912) 598-2510, kris.maedke-russell@skio.uga.edu
Catherine Edwards (PI), (912) 598-2471, catherine.edwards@skio.uga.edu
Jennifer Dorton (SECOORA rep), jdorton@secoora.org
3. Name of Ongoing Monitoring Program:
SECOORA: The Southeast Ocean Observing Regional Association
4. Monitoring Program Start Date: __Summer 2020_and Planned End Date: _Indefinete_

5. Please briefly describe your monitoring program in one or two paragraphs. Please include
instrumentation and sampling technique if applicable.
WERA, or wave radar, is a system that utilizes over the horizon radar technology to measure ocean surface
current, waves, and wind direction. The data from the station is then combined with the data from a sister WERA
station at Kennedy Space Center and a map of the surface current, waves, and wind direction is generated. Thisdata is gathered in real time and can be accessed by scientists for use in their research. The data can also be used
for hurricane tracking and to generate more accurate weather/ocean current prediction models. Additionally, theradar system can be used for live tracking of ships at sea and to assist in search and rescue operations.
The WERA station consists of three main parts. There is the instrument storage area, which is climate
controlled and houses all the electronics for the station as well as the connection to our server at Skidaway. The
transmit array consists of four antennas arranged in a rectangle that send the signal out across the ocean. The third
major component is the receive array consisting of 12 antennas that are arranged in a line running parallel to theshore.

6. In which sections of the IRL is your monitoring program focused?
a. ☐Halifax River (2016 IRLNEP Planning Boundary Amendment)b. ☐Northern IRL (IRL north of US-192 bridge in Melbourne)c. ☐Central IRL (US-192 bridge south to Fort Pierce)d. ☐Southern IRL (IRL south of Fort Pierce)e. ☐Mosquito Lagoonf.

☐Banana River

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g. ☒Other – Please describe: __It is ocean facing near the north ranger station of
Canaveral national seashore__
7. Do you have ArcGIS shapefiles depicting your study areas/sites that you would be willing toshare?
No, but I will attach a basic map that we have drawn up. The site has not been installed at
this point, so some details have not been worked out.

8. Which of the following describe the type of data collected by your monitoring program?
a. ☐Biological (e.g., plankton, catch data by species, sea turtle nesting)b. ☐Habitat (e.g., submerged aquatic vegetation, hard bottom)c. ☒Physical Oceanographic (e.g., water temperature, currents, erosion)d. ☒Meteorological (e.g., winds, rainfall, atmospheric pressure.)e. ☐Water Quality and Chemistry (e.g., nutrients, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, pH, pCO2)
f.

☐Human Use (e.g., fishing, scuba diving, military use)g. ☒Extreme Event Data (e.g., harmful algal blooms, hurricanes, spills)
h. ☐Geological (e.g., bathymetry, sediment type)i.

☐Contaminants of Concern (e.g., plastics, herbicides)
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9. Which of the following 2019 IRLNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
(CCMP) Vital Signs can be linked to your Monitoring Program?
Water Qualitya. ☒Impaired Waters
b. ☐Wastewaterc. ☐Stormwaterd. ☒Hydrology and Hydrodynamics

e. ☐Legacy Loads and Healthy Sedimentsf.

☐Atmospheric Depositiong. ☐Contaminants of Concern
Habitatsh. ☐Seagrassi.
j.

☐Filter Feeders☐Living Shorelines

k. ☐Wetlands and Impounded Altered Marshesl.

☐Spoil Islands

m. ☐Land Conservationn. ☐Connected Waters and Watersheds

Living Resourceso. ☐Biodiversity

p. ☐Species of Concern
q. ☐Invasive Speciesr.

☐Forage Fishess. ☐Commercial and Recreational Fisheriest.

☐Harmful Algal Blooms

10. Please list key parameters measured by your program.
Radar measures:• Range to target• azimuth of target (wave height)

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• Doppler frequency of target (wave direction)• Phased array (beam forming)• Direction Finding Range• Single Pulse (range gating)• Coded Waveforms• Doppler Shift• Repeated measurements

11. Which of the following CCMP indicators are addressed by key parameters you listed above?
Water Quality Indicators
a. ☐Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)b. ☐Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs)c. ☐Reasonable Assurance Plans (RAPs)d. ☐Numeric Nutrient Criteriae. ☐Biological responsef.

☐Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at advanced wastewater treatment (AWT)
dischargeg. ☐Number of septic conversions to advanced septic or sewerh. ☐Biosolids and reclaimed water nutrient managementi.
j.

☐Stormwater discharge to IRL☐Surface water volume restored to natural flow, groundwater and internal water flows
and loadsk. ☐Healthy sediments; location, acreage, volume, and nutrient loads/flux of muckl.

☐Wet-dry atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and pollutants

m. ☐Types, concentrations, and loads of contaminants of concern
Habitat Quality Indicators
n. ☐Coverage (acres)o. ☐Densityp. ☐Species diversity

q. ☐Miles of living shoreliner.

☐Acres in conservation, management, and public use
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s. ☐Regional watershed planning and project integration
Living Resources Indicatorst.

☐Pelagic and benthic community diversity

u. ☐Population status

v. ☐Population trends

w. ☐Population Recovery

x. ☐Rare, threatened, endangered, and endemic species identificationy. ☐Exotic and invasive species population reduction and removalz. ☐Annual incidence of toxic and/or non-toxic HAB eventsaa. ☐Risk-based vulnerabilities identified

12. Is your data real-time, continuous, or discrete and what is the sampling frequency?
It is real-time with about a half hour delay for processing. It is continuous and each data
sample can be discrete or combined with others for long term observations. We typicallysample at 20 min intervals.
13. How are your monitoring data QA/QC’ed? If applicable, please provide an online link, describe
briefly, or attach.
The processing software removes most unreasonable data during collection. Further QC is
usually done when applying the data depending on the application.
14. Is your organization willing to allow data collected from your monitoring program to beaccessible to users in the IRL research and management communities?
Yes, all data will be open to the public
15. Optional – Please attach one or more images (e.g., study site, fieldwork, technology, focus
organism, logo) that could be included with your program description.

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Examples of antenna layout

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Appendix 4 – One Lagoon Workshop Attendees
Name

Organization

Matthew Anderson

FDEP - Indian River Lagoon Aquatic Preserves

Virginia Barker

Brevard County

Jeff Beal

Ducks Unlimited

Ron Brockmeyer

St. Johns River Water Management District

Steve Burton

FAU Harbor Branch

Katie Bowes

Martin County

Susan Butler

U.S. Geological Survey

Lisa Chambers

University of Central Florida

Hyun Jung Cho

Bethune-Cookman University

Derek Cox

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Emily Dark
Kristen Davis

FDEP - Indian River Lagoon Aquatic Preserves

Duane De FreeseIndian River Lagoon National Estuary Program

Chip Deutsch
Melinda Donnelly

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Vincent Encomio

Florida Sea Grant Extension

Warren Falls

Ocean Research and Conservation Association

Jessica Frost
Michelle Gaither

South Florida Water Management District

Dennis Hanisak

FAU Harbor Branch

Jenny Hansen

Brevard County

David Heuberger

FAU Harbor Branch

Kate Hubbard

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Chuck Jacoby

St. Johns River Water Management District

Dean Janiak

Smithsonian Marine Station

Amanda Kahn

South Florida Water Management District

Darrell Lambeth

U.S. Geological Survey

FAU Harbor Branch

University of Central Florida

University of Central Florida

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Name

Organization

Zachary Leibowitz

Applied Ecology, Inc.

Claudia Listopad

Applied Ecology, Inc.

Cary Lopez

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Malcolm McFarland

FAU Harbor BranchRich Paperno

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Melanie Parker

South Florida Water Management District

Eduardo Patino

U.S. Geological Survey

Valerie Paul

Smithsonian Marine Station

Ted Saltos

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Doug Scheidt

Kennedy Space Center Ecological Program

Pam Schofield

U.S. Geological Survey

Jimmy Sellers
Daniel Sloane

Ecological Associates
U.S. Geological Survey

Leesa Souto

Marine Resource Council

David Sumner

U.S. Geological Survey

Holly Sweat

Smithsonian Marine Station

Charles Vogt

Florida Department of Health

Linda Walters

University of Central Florida

Terry Williamson

Brevard County

Scott Wilson

U.S. Geological Survey

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Appendix 5 – One Lagoon Workshop Meeting Documents

A378

One Lagoon Workshop
Comprehensive Lagoon-wide Monitoring Plan for the Indian River Lagoon
WebEx Virtual Meeting
November 19, 2020
12:45 p.m.

WebEx Site is Open

1:00 p.m.

Welcome and Introduction
Dennis Hanisak, FAU Harbor Branch

1:20 p.m.

Charge: Linking the Monitoring Plan to IRLNEP and its CCMP
Duane De Freese, IRLNEP• Vision for a comprehensive and integrated monitoring network for the IRL• Role of IRLNEP• Looking Ahead to 2030
• Link to CCMP’s vital signs

1:30 p.m.

Review of Ongoing Monitoring – One Lagoon: Water Quality
Chuck Jacoby, St. John’s Water Management District(Real-time polling of workshop participants will help set monitoring priorities)

2:10 p.m.

Review of Ongoing Monitoring – One Lagoon: Habitat Quality
Jeff Beal, Ducks Unlimited(Real-time polling of workshop participants will help set monitoring priorities)

2:30 p.m.

Review of Ongoing Monitoring – One Lagoon: Living Resources
Derek Cox, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission(Real-time polling of workshop participants will help set monitoring priorities)

2:50 p.m.

Break

3:10 p.m.

Recommended Actions – Looking Ahead to 2030
Dennis Hanisak, FAU Harbor Branch

4:10 p.m.

Workshop Wrap-up

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One Lagoon Monitoring Plan:
A Comprehensive, Coordinated, and Integrated IRL Monitoring Plan
An Overview
November 19, 2020
The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is a highly diverse, shallow-water estuary of national significancestretching along 40% of Florida’s east coast. The IRL’s economic value to Florida is enormous(~$8 billion per year). Urbanization, excessive freshwater releases, degradation of water quality,
contaminant loading, loss of habitat (e.g., seagrasses, mangroves), harmful algal blooms, declineof fisheries, and emerging diseases in marine mammals and other biota are increasingly important
issues in the IRL, as they are throughout the world’s estuaries and coastal waters. Restoration of
the IRL represents a pressing need.
Monitoring the water quality, sediment, and biological resources of the IRL is important not only
to determine the current condition of the estuary but also to ascertain the effectiveness ofrestoration. Having adequate and reliable data allows standards to be established and provides aframework for future comparisons. Monitoring networks must be in place and maintained if weare to effectively track and understand why critical changes occur to the lagoon and how thechanges occurred.
The Indian River Lagoon National Estuarine Program (IRLNEP) is developing the One Lagoon
Monitoring Plan: A Comprehensive, Coordinated and Integrated IRL Monitoring Plan. The goal
is to develop a comprehensive lagoon-wide monitoring plan that identifies existing assets, gaps indata or analyses, emerging needs and opportunities, and specific recommendations for action. The
resulting IRL Monitoring Plan should:• lead to an integrated, comprehensive IRL Monitoring Network that will provide acomprehensive set of accessible data on IRL conditions and biological resources• be a resource for the IRL research community, managers, and the public and facilitate
adaptive management of the IRL• identify potential problems and sources of problems in the IRL• evaluate the impacts of restoration efforts• lead eventually to a healthy lagoon
FAU Harbor Branch, with guidance from a Steering Committee comprised of representatives from15 organizations involved in IRL research and management, has been working to develop a draft
IRL Monitoring Plan. The plan will evaluate roles and responsibilities and identify gaps,
opportunities, and challenges to delivering a comprehensive monitoring network. Approximately
100 individuals contributed inputs into a questionnaire that provided information on the Who,
What, Where, When, and Why of IRL monitoring:• Identify who is collecting IRL data
• Identify what data is collected (parameter, sensor types, precision, accuracy)• Identify where data is located (location)• Identify when data is collected (frequency of collection)• Identify why data is collected (link data to vital sign, indicator, management decisions)A380

Important criteria for inclusion of sampling and monitoring data in the One Lagoon Ecosystem
Observation Network are:
1. All sampling and monitoring programs under this network need to support managementof the IRL. Support can include advice for adaptive management actions, guidance fordesigning and implementing other sampling programs to fill gaps in our knowledge andunderstanding, and proof of accountability andtransparency.
The
IRLNEP
Comprehensive
Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP)
provides current targets for management through 32“vital signs.” These vital signs, identified during thedevelopment of the CCMP, represent important issues
that individually and collectively contribute torestoration and protection of a healthy lagoon and its
associated communities. Each vital sign is supportedby specific actions, partnerships, and resource needs
and sources. Thus, sampling and monitoring
programs in the One Lagoon Ecosystem
Observation Network must be designed to support
the CCMP and to provide answers to questions
linked to one or more its vital signs.
2. All programs in the One Lagoon Ecosystem Observation Network must be active. The datafrom these programs will be used in ongoing efforts to evaluate the status of IRL ecosystems
and effectiveness of management actions, guide changes in management to enhance
effectiveness or efficiency, highlight gaps in our understanding to be filled by other sampling
programs, and provide ongoing evidence that management is being conducted in good faith.
Legacy data remain highly valuable, but they do not fulfill the role of this plan.
3. All sampling and monitoring programs in the One Lagoon Monitoring Plan must comply
with an established quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) program [(EPA-funded
projects are required to have a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)]. It is essential toassess, document, and improve the quality of data collected via all programs within thisobservation network. All elements of data collection within a program, including sample
collection, analyses of samples, interpretation of results, and data management must be
clearly addressed and meet applicable quality standards.
4. All monitoring and sampling programs in the One Lagoon Ecosystem Observation
Network must make their data freely accessible to IRL researchers, managers, and the
public, with due regard for the right to publish. Data sharing maximizes returns on
investments and demonstrates accountability and transparency. To facilitate accessibility,each participating program must have a database replete with metadata to be provided
after QA/QC processing online or via one or more of the program’s data managers.
Sampling programs that do not currently fit these criteria and programs that may be desired in the
future can be identified and included in the One Lagoon Ecosystem Observation Network,
particularly when those programs fill gaps in our knowledge and understanding or highlight
improved/new technologies.
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At the IRL Monitoring Workshop on November 19, 2020, members of the Steering Committee
will present an overview of the projects currently in the draft IRL Monitoring Plan, provide
additional information, and seek feedback from workshop participants. These projects are listed in
the following table “Draft Proposed IRLNEP One Lagoon Ecosystem Monitoring Network with
Associated Waterbodies”. The table links current monitoring programs with the category andprincipal vital signs as listed in the CCMP along with location in the IRL (associated waterbodies).
The IRL Monitoring Program Steering Committee
Jeff Beal, Ducks Unlimited
Katie Bowes, Martin County
J. Cho, Bethune-Cookman University
Derek Cox, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Duane De Freese, Indian River Lagoon National Estuarine Program
Warren Falls, ORCA
Austin Fox, Florida Institute of Technology
Dennis Hanisak, FAU Harbor Branch
Jenny Hansen, Brevard County
Chuck Jacoby, St. Johns River Water Management District
Amanda Kahn, South Florida Water Management District
Valerie Paul, Smithsonian Marine Station
Leesa Souto, Marine Resources Council
David Sumner, USGS Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center
Linda Walters, University of Central Florida

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Appendix 6 – One Lagoon Workshop Surveys (Blank)

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One Lagoon:
A Comprehensive Lagoon-wide Monitoring Plan for the Indian River Lagoon
Workshop Survey – Water Quality
1. Please rank from the list below the five most important water quality parameters
needed to assess the water quality of the IRL.
• Chlorophyll a• pH/pCO2 (Coastal Acidification)• Color (CDOM)• Dissolved Oxygen• Eutrophication/Nutrient Loading• Microbial Contamination (septic tanks/wastewater)• Microplastics• Pesticides (herbicides/insecticides)• Salinity/Conductivity (freshwater discharges/hypersalinity)• Total Suspended Solids/Turbidity
Comments:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. On a scale from 1-3, does the monitoring discussed today provide adequate
geographic coverage for water quality monitoring of the IRL? (1 = it definitely does
not, 3 = it definitely does) _____
Comments:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. On a scale from 1-3, does the monitoring discussed today provide adequate frequencyof data collection for water quality monitoring of the IRL? (1 = it definitely does not, 3= it definitely does) _____
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Comments: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What is missing from the monitoring discussed today for adequate monitoring of water
quality of the IRL?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. On a scale from 1-3, to what extent were you familiar with the water quality monitoring
projects summarized today? (1 = you knew nothing about current IRL water quality
monitoring efforts, 3 = you knew about most or all of these efforts) _____
Comments: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Please list any other comments, suggestions, and recommendations on water quality
monitoring of the IRL.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for completing the survey!

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One Lagoon:
A Comprehensive Lagoon-wide Monitoring Plan for the Indian River Lagoon
Workshop Survey – Habitat Quality
1. Please rank from the list below the three most important CCMP Habitat vital signs formonitoring the health of the IRL.
• Connected Waters• Filter Feeders• Land Conservation• Living Shorelines• Seagrasses• Spoil Islands• Wetlands
Comments:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. On a scale from 1-3, does the monitoring discussed today provide adequate
geographic coverage for habitat monitoring of the IRL? (1 = it definitely does not, 3 =it definitely does) _____
Comments:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. On a scale from 1-3, does the monitoring discussed today provide adequate frequencyof data collection for habitat monitoring of the IRL? (1 = it definitely does not, 3 = itdefinitely does) _____
Comments: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What is missing from the monitoring discussed today for adequate monitoring of
habitat of the IRL?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. On a scale from 1-3, to what extent were you familiar with the habitat monitoring
projects summarized today? (1 = you knew nothing about current IRL water quality
monitoring efforts, 3 = you knew about most or all of these efforts) _____
Comments: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Please list any other comments, suggestions, and recommendations on habitat
monitoring of the IRL.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for completing the survey!

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One Lagoon:
A Comprehensive Lagoon-wide Monitoring Plan for the Indian River Lagoon
Workshop Survey – Living Resources
1. Please rank from the list below the five most important living resources for monitoring
the health of the IRL.
• Birds• Charismatic Megafauna (marine mammals, sea turtles)• Commercial and Recreational Fisheries• Elasmobranchs• Forage Fishes• Invasive Flora/Fauna• Harmful Algal Blooms• Invertebrates• Macroalgae• Plankton (phytoplankton/zooplankton)
Comments:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. On a scale from 1-3, does the monitoring discussed today provide adequate
geographic coverage for monitoring the living resources of the IRL? (1 = it definitely
does not, 3 = it definitely does) _____
Comments:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A390

3. On a scale from 1-3, does the monitoring discussed today provide adequate frequencyof data collection for monitoring the living resources of the IRL? (1 = it definitely does
not, 3 = it definitely does) _____
Comments: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What is missing from the monitoring discussed today for adequate monitoring of living
resources of the IRL?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. On a scale from 1-3, to what extent were you familiar with the living resources
monitoring projects summarized today? (1 = you knew nothing about current IRL water
quality monitoring efforts, 3 = you knew about most or all of these efforts) _____
Comments: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Please list any other comments, suggestions, and recommendations on living
resources monitoring of the IRL.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for completing the survey!
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Appendix 7 – One Lagoon Workshop Surveys Summary

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One Lagoon Workshop
Comprehensive Lagoon-wide Monitoring Plan for the Indian River Lagoon
WebEx Virtual Meeting. November 19, 2020
Survey Results Summary and Chatroom Comments
On November 19, 2020, HBOI-FAU hosted a half-day virtual workshop with persons involved in
IRL monitoring programs to review the Draft IRL Monitoring Plan and solicit further information.
To maximize workshop attendee participation, interactive surveys were incorporated directly into
the One Lagoon workshop. Surveys were presented at the end of each of three presentations which
reviewed ongoing monitoring for the Water Quality, Habitat Quality, and Living Resources Vital
Signs categories. Results from each of the surveys are presented below. Individual participants
were given the option to provide comments after each survey question. Individual comments foreach survey question are organized by how the question was answered and are presented inAppendix 7.1. Additionally, workshop organizers monitored a concurrent chatroom whereparticipants could ask questions and make comments. A chat room “transcript” is presented inAppendix 7.2.
Review of Ongoing Monitoring – One Lagoon Water Quality
Presenter: Chuck Jacoby, St. John’s River Water Management District
There were 35 participants who completed the Water Quality Survey.
Q: Please rank the water quality parameters below in order of importance to assess the water
quality in the IRL.

Eutrophication/nutrient loading and chlorophyll a ranked highest in terms of importance to assesswater quality. This is consistent with HABs representing a major concern among participants
across all three surveys.
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Q: On a scale from 1-3, does the monitoring discussed today provide adequate geographic
coverage for water quality monitoring of the IRL? (1 = it does not, 3 = it definitely does)
Several participants commented either that thepresentation was too brief to be able to answer thequestion properly or that their answer varied
depending on the parameter being considered.
Nearly 85% of participants responded thatgeographic coverage was adequate. However,many of these respondents also stated that there isroom for improvement.
Specific gaps in coverage identified by participants
included tributaries, Haulover Canal, and the area
between Fort Pierce and Jensen Beach.
Several participants remarked that there are relatively more WQM stations in the SIRL comparedto other areas of the Lagoon.
Two parameters were specifically identified as lacking adequate geographic coverage; they
included bacteriological sampling and PAR to calculate light attenuation.
Q: On a scale from 1-3, does the monitoring discussed today provide adequate frequency of datacollection for water quality monitoring of the IRL? (1 = it does not, 3 = it definitely does)
While most participants answered that frequencyof water quality monitoring was adequate, many
still commented that sampling frequency needs to
be increased.
Arguments for increased sample frequency
included capturing episodic events (e.g., storms),
calculating daily means of parameters such as DO,or better understanding drivers of the system.

Q: What is missing from the monitoring discussed today for adequate monitoring of water qualityof the IRL?
Many survey participants reemphasized the need to increase water sampling, both spatially andtemporally. Increased tributary sampling to monitor impaired water bodies and increased real-time
continuous water quality monitoring stations were specific examples.
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Survey participants also cited several parameters that should be better represented including
emerging contaminants, bacteria (enterococci) and iron (for its potential to impact HABs).
Q: Please list any other comments, suggestions, and recommendations on water quality
monitoring of the IRL.
Improved access to data and increased cooperation among agencies were cited numerous times byparticipants. Also cited several times was the need to incorporate emerging technologies and toincrease use of remote sensing and autonomous vehicles.
Lastly, it was noted that, “we need to look beyond TMDLs to understand overall health of the IRL.
Estuarine function is more than stormwater loading; there are many contaminants that are now
ignored as current monitoring primarily focuses on TMDL compliance.”
Review of Ongoing Monitoring – One Lagoon Habitat Quality
Presenter: Jeff Beal, Ducks Unlimited
There were 33 participants who completed the Habitat Quality Survey.
Q: Please rank the CCMP Habitat Vital Signs below in order of importance for monitoring thehealth of the IRL. Drag and drop the items to rank them.

Seagrass ranked highest as most the important CCMP vital sign in the Habitat Category formonitoring health of the IRL with 45% of participants ranking it as number 1.
There were numerous comments stressing the importance of monitoring connected waters andwetlands within the IRL watershed for the health of the Lagoon.
Several participants noted the important role of macroalgae for providing critical habitat.

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Others noted the lack of oyster reefs as an answer choice, perhaps not realizing they were included
with filter feeders.
Q: On a scale from 1-3, does the monitoring discussed today provide adequate geographic
coverage for habitat monitoring of the IRL? (1 = it does not, 3 = it definitely does)
Most participants indicated that, while spatial
extent of seagrass sampling is generally adequate,
spatial extent of other habitat monitoring programs
is severely lacking.
Oyster reefs, coastal wetlands, and clam beds were
singled out as important habitats requiring muchgreater lagoon-wide monitoring.
Halifax River was identified as a region lacking inall habitat monitoring.
Q: On a scale from 1-3, does the monitoring discussed today provide adequate frequency of datacollection for habitat monitoring of the IRL? (1 = it does not, 3 = it definitely does)
Some notable participant remarks concerning
habitat monitoring included the need to coordinate
and standardize lagoon-wide monitoring frequency(seasons and time step) across the entire lagoon andto prioritize spatial extent over frequency of habitat
monitoring.
Q: What is missing from the monitoring discussed
today for adequate monitoring of habitat of the
IRL?
Participants elaborated on their previous comments
pertaining to habitat monitoring.
There was a consensus that more comprehensive monitoring of non-seagrass habitats is necessary.
Numerous comments regarding gaps in habitat monitoring were addressed in the subsequent
Living Resources presentation.
Q: Please list any other comments, suggestions, and recommendations on habitat monitoring of
the IRL.

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Comments throughout this survey indicate baseline data and associated monitoring of habitats isseverely lacking. Like seagrass, it would be useful to have benchmarks based on historicalconditions for other habitat types.
Careful thought needs to be given to monitoring in terms of landward migration of habitats
resulting from sea level rise and increased hydroperiod (e.g., succession of salt marsh to mangrove
forest).
Some specific monitoring recommendations included increased funding, standardization acrosssites and habitats, and shoreline characterization for the southern IRL.
Finally, development of an adequate lagoon-wide habitat monitoring program will require an
integrated multi-disciplinary partnership. Tying habitat to water quality is key to the restoration of
the IRL. Development of habitat suitability index models is key to tying habitat to living resources.
Review of Ongoing Monitoring – One Lagoon Living Resources
Presenter: Derek Cox, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
There were 28 participants who completed the Living Resources Survey.
Q: Please rank the list of living resources below in order of importance for monitoring the healthof the IRL.

Harmful algal blooms, followed by plankton, ranked highest as the most important living resources
for monitoring health of the IRL with 75% of participants ranking either HABs or plankton as
number 1. Participants justified HABs as their first choice based on HABs’ impact on all other
Living Resources groups. When monitoring linkages between drivers, impacts and conditions,
HABs were described as good indicators of impacts and conditions. Plankton was generally
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justified as first choice based on a bottom-up ecological approach focusing on primary producers
and their higher sensitivity to environmental changes.
Q: On a scale from 1-3, does the monitoring discussed today provide adequate geographic
coverage for monitoring the living resources of the IRL? (1 = it does not, 3 = it definitely does)
While most participants responded that current
monitoring provides adequate geographic coveragefor monitoring Living Resources, five participants
responded that geographic coverage is definitely
not adequate. Many of the monitoring programs
were described as fragmented and limited in spatial
coverage and that they may not represent the IRL
as a whole.
One comment stated the need for a better
understanding of the linkages that describe thesystem dynamics to prioritize which living
resources should be monitored.
Q: On a scale from 1-3, does the monitoring discussed today provide adequate frequency of datacollection for monitoring the living resources of the IRL? (1 = it does not, 3 = it definitely does)
Most participants responded that frequency of datacollection was adequate. Many of the comments,
however, indicate the need for overall increased
frequency.
Several participants noted that this was a difficult
question to answer since adequate frequency istarget organism dependent. HABs andphytoplankton were often singled out requiring
more frequent sampling outside of bloom events.
Q: What is missing from the monitoring discussed today for adequate monitoring of living
resources of the IRL?
Comments for this question identified several groups of organisms underrepresented in ongoing
monitoring programs. Microbial (bacteria and microalgae) and viral monitoring were commonly
cited as needing more focus. Benthos, invertebrates, sponges, and invasive species were also listed
as being underrepresented.

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Q: Please list any other comments, suggestions, and recommendations on living resources
monitoring of the IRL.
HABs and phytoplankton were the most included Living Resources in participant comments.
Expanding in situ monitoring capabilities for HABs and monitoring phytoplankton resting stages
in sediments were recommended. The need for integrated models was also noted.
One participant commented that, “there is still confusion about the definition of HAB. Any
monitoring plan should account for toxic and shading/turbid blooms – both types are importantand harmful – and also make clear distinctions among types when discussing.”
Lastly, it was suggested that there are more opportunities for citizen science-based monitoring
programs of living resources in the IRL.

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Appendix 7.1. One Lagoon Workshop Participant Comments from Interactive Surveys
Water Quality Survey
Q: Please rank the water quality parameters below in order of importance to assess the water
quality in the IRL. Drag and drop the items to rank them.
1st Rank
Chlorophyll a
Chlorophyll a
Chlorophyll a
Chlorophyll a
Chlorophyll a

Chlorophyll a
Chlorophyll a
Eutrophication
Eutrophication
Eutrophication
Eutrophication
Eutrophication
Eutrophication

Eutrophication
Eutrophication

Comments
Just from a wholistic view. All are important but I feel and believe nutrients andsimilar issues are the priority.
Selected the parameters that have to do with primary productivity habitat health(i.e. seagrass), wildlife health (DO) and human health (bacteria)
We need to understand the biological responses, not just abiotic factors, thus
ranking chl A high.
The primary threat to IRL water quality and ecosystem health is excess nutrient
loading leading to excessive phytoplankton growthI think the nutrient loads driving phytoplankton abundances are critical forunderstanding the algal blooms we have had in recent years and assessing theeffectiveness of efforts to reduce nutrient loads into the Lagoon. Chemical
pollutants are the next important area in order to reduce exposure to residents
and tourists using the Lagoon, maintaining commercial and recreation fisheries,
and assessing effectiveness of programs to reduce pollutants.
Prioritized in order of importance to lagoon-wide restoration and within the scopeof local management.
Chlorophyll and TSS affect light attenuation and hence, affects on foundational
habitats (seagrass, other SAV). Nutrient loading tells us what is feeding the blooms.
Microbial contamination tell us whether in-water recreation is safe for people.
System health
I believe nutrient loads are one of the biggest issues from which many other issues
stem.
Looking at a longer period of record in the estuary, the health of oysters andseagrass depends more on the top 3 categories that I chose. In my limited
experience, those organisms are indicator species for estuary health.
I think of the leading issues in terms of algal blooms - their causes and theirsubsequent impacts
I'd say that the first 8 out of the 10 are equal in their importance as water quality
parameters
There is a phytoplankton biomass problem, so chlorophyll a and nutrients are ofhigh importance. Also important to make sure in situ measurements of chlorophyll
fluorescence are calibrated to actual discrete measurements of extracted
chlorophyll. Salinity high on the list because it is relatively easy and important
indicator. Microplastics are important as well but i put them at the bottom because
I'm not sure of clear management tie right now.
Salinity fluctuations and nutrient loading are the top drivers affecting several ofthese other important parameters.
Not a strict order but I'm interested in the seagrasses and SAV, the base of the living
lagoon. I tried to put relevant parameters generally on top.
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Eutrophication
Microbial
Contamination

Salinity
Salinity
Salinity

Big issues first - others will mitigate as the big problems become smaller
Ranking the water quality parameters is partially driven by the question. There are
overlaps in some parameters where you might rank salinity, turbidity, nutrient
loading, pH, and dissolved oxygen together as important water quality parameters
for supporting the ecosystems. However, microbial contamination, nutrient
loading, microplastics, and pesticides would be ranked together from a humanhealth standpoint.
Focus on core parameters that can be measured by most programs.
color, turbidity, chl a all vital for affecting light environment;
turbidity, color, salinity greatly affected by water management
We often judge our ecosystem health by what we can visually see. Hence, algae
blooms. Salinity concentration can often times be a limiting factor to algal
productivity. Likewise excess nutrients are drivers for productivity. Excess algae cancause shading (reproduction and decomp) and contribute to total particulates in
the water column, which has an effect on DO. New septic to sewer technology will
alleviate problems with septic, just a matter of time.

Q: On a scale from 1-3, does the monitoring discussed today provide adequate geographic
coverage for water quality monitoring of the IRL? (1 = it does not, 3 = it definitely does)
Scale
1
1
1
1

1
2
2
2
2
2
2

Comments
Relatively too much monitoring focused on southern IRL
gaps in SIRL just between border of SJRWMD and SFWMD
Huge sections are not monitored on an intense enough frequency - the water shed is also not
scrutinized enough
Missing frequency and specific parameters per station. Many of these samples are collected
monthly or quarterly, which doesn't allow for daily or weekly changes in DO, salinity, etc. thatare key to understanding input, functions, and issues. Also, tributaries are the source ofcontaminants yet aren't being considered here and are REALLY lacking in regular monitoring.
There are no TMDLs for bacteria in the lagoon proper, so no monitoring for bacteria outside
shellfish harvesting areas (which are for the most part defunct). Two nonprofit organizations
are doing the majority of bacteria monitoring in lagoon tributaries (Surfrider and Clean Waterof Indian River County). If it wasn't for them, the public would have no idea what they were
swimming in.
There are some geographical gaps, and for continuous, readily available data those gaps canbe very large
It appears to do a good job, but more coverage is always better and having the data readily
available/downloadable is useful, but currently lacking in some programs.
This seems to vary depending on the parameter of interest, so too general of a question. But
clearly the entire lagoon has some sort of monitoring.
perhaps more monitoring of loads into IRL via tributaries
There is a lot of geographic coverage of the IRL but probably some areas that areundersampled.
coverage is good but can always be improved
From basic my understanding of the mapped regions as discussed today only
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2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3

There seems to be more monitoring occurring in southern portion of the Lagoon compared
to northern sections.
From the maps it seemed that coverage was good for most parameters. I may have missed it
but it seemed like data on light attenuation might be sparse?
The overall coverage of the IRL looks fairly good, but there are surely points of interest where
we could benefit from having additional monitoring, such as the Haulover Canal that we've
talked about previously.
We are doing great, but there is always more to do!
Hard to get a sense of temporal scale for discrete measurements; probably not for the
programs that have only a few sensors out including in situ monitoring platforms
Very hard to know about spatio-temporal coverage from such a quick presentation hopefully these will be sent out later with mapping techniques that include temporal
coverage.
Spatial distribution of stations is good.
There did not appear to be any significant gaps in coverage when viewing the map.
It would appear that it does but its worrisome that data are not collected in a standardized
way - so geographic range is fine but comparability is questionable.
Great spatial coverage.
I couldn’t see any real gaps from the maps that stand out

On a scale from 1-3, does the monitoring discussed today provide adequate frequency of datacollection for water quality monitoring of the IRL? (1 = it does not, 3 = it definitely does)
Scale
1

1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

Comments
This varies depending on the parameter of interest, but for most parameters monthly
sampling is not sufficiently frequent to capture the episodic events (e.g., storms) that canhave a huge impact on water quality, seagrass, oysters, etc. The hourly sampling of some
programs is excellent.
Ideally, there would be a lot more continuous WQ data.
lack of more continuous data collection stations in areas
Understood that it is the best that can be done with the resources available - expansion isessential
Would need to see frequency of each parameter to answer this
Similar answer to previous question. Some are but not all.
Much of it is real time monitoring.
frequency is good but could always be improved
based on quantity of samples as discussed by SJRWMD
I think it is adequate based on available funding, but more frequent sampling in general ispreferred to better understand trends related to temporal variation.
I think higher frequency data are needed because an understanding of higher frequency
variability will allow better understanding of drivers as well as better interpretation of lower
frequency data.
Some parameters in some areas are collected frequently enough, but others could havegreater temporal resolution.
Hard to tell since each program is doing things a bit differently.
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2
2
2
2
3

There's a mismatch in frequencies among programs.
In looking at historical trends, monthly data may be adequate, but algal blooms and fish kills
require higher temporal frequencies as the hourly and daily trends can have a significant
impact.
Frequency can be significantly improved, the only roadblock is staff time and funding.
Hard to get a sense of temporal scale
I saw a number of sampling events that were a weekly rotation or less. And that’s good news

Q: What is missing from the monitoring discussed today for adequate monitoring of water qualityof the IRL?
•

It would have been nice to see where the random sampling programs fit in or how they
could possibly help fill in gaps.

•

Can source of nutrients be determined using stable isotopes? If so, that would be valuable
to monitor.

•

Methodologies•"1) Remote sensing at high frequency and easily available•2) Contaminants of emergent concern sampling of water, soils, and food chain. Is PFAS
increasing or decreasing?

•3) Monitoring to determine if the recreational and commercial harvests are safe to eat•

microplastics, marine debris•

imo, monitoring of the light regime could be improved … a driver of biologicalproductivity•

algal toxins•

Data sharing capabilities•

More stations throughout the Lagoon•

More microbial monitoring•

I didn't see any significant misses.

•

Standardization•

Hydrologic impacts.

•

flow/discharge data? cant remember if this was addressed in the presentation or not
A403

•

Who is sampling for Iron? I didn’t see that and if that is a factor of algae blooms it might
be important•

atmospheric deposition; more than just chl pigment•

Mosquito impoundments and discussion and evaluation of non point sources. Point
source - walk the banks - needs to be scaled up•

Toxins, PFOS/PFOA, bacteria (enterococci), DO measured at a frequency adequate tocalculate daily means and more sediment sampling. Need information on frequency ofparameters collected at each site.

•

Nearshore data where depth changes are strongly seasonal, have large impacts, and waterflow may be restricted influencing the water quality and exchange processes.

•

May need additional tributary stations to ensure adequate spatial coverage of impaired
WBIDs that drain to the lagoon.

•

More real time salinity data is needed to study the impact of high freshwater duration on
IRL living resources•

New technology for making in situ measurements, what happens with all the data (i.e.,
Chuck could have discussed modeling, maybe that's forthcoming though)•Emerging contaminants of concern,

Q: Please list any other comments, suggestions, and recommendations on water quality
monitoring of the IRL.
•

This information (what group are monitoring which parameters, frequency and location)
should be available on a website for future referencing, including up to date contacts fordata that is publicly available. The more people are free to view data, the more will belearned from it.

•

Making the data easier to download into a format (.csv) for analysis would be helpful.
Providing data on depth of monitoring is not always consistent but should be. A one-stop
shop would be a great gateway to the data!

•

How about other algal pigments? Bluegreen algae?

•

More publicly available/downloadable data would be great.

•

I didn't see the discreet monitoring efforts that SMS carries out on a quarterly basis. We
A404

have water quality, sediment organic and grain size analysis, and some basic
meterological data collection in the SLE up to the central IRL in Melbourne. This is allpart of the CERP infaunal monitoring program, and it is available to the public uponrequest.
•A list of contacts that manage each program might be useful.

•continued partnerships and communication among agencies and institutions are vital•use of autonomous vehicles and increased remote sensing•

We need to look beyond TMDLs to understand system health. Estuarine function is morethan stormwater loading, there are many contaminants that are now ignored asmonitoring focuses only on TMDL compliance. Trend analysis demonstrates nosignificant change in lagoon water quality over time yet seagrasses have a significant
decline. We are missing something just looking at nutrients and algae! We are notadequately assessing the systems health focusing on TMDL parameters.

•

More communication between agencies, including DEP, SFWMD, FDOH, NGOs, andlocal governments; quarterly water quality inter-agency meetings would generate better
agency coordination and hopefully more regional projects•

provide guidance on qa/qc to other agencies that do similar measurements to increase thenumber of robust datasets coming in, partner with SECOORA•

A better demonstration•

This information (what group are monitoring which parameters, frequency and location)
should be available on a website for future referencing, including up to date contacts fordata that is publicly available. The more people are free to view data, the more will belearned from it.

•

Making the data easier to download into a format (.csv) for analysis would be helpful.
Providing data on depth of monitoring is not always consistent but should be. A one-stop
shop would be a great gateway to the data!

•

How about other algal pigments? Bluegreen algae?

•

More publicly available/downloadable data would be great.

•

A list of contacts that manage each program might be useful.
A405

•

continued partnerships and communication among agencies and institutions are vital•use of autonomous vehicles and increased remote sensing•

We need to look beyond TMDLs to understand system health. Estuarine function is morethan stormwater loading, there are many contaminants that are now ignored asmonitoring focuses only on TMDL compliance. Trend analysis demonstrates nosignificant change in lagoon water quality over time yet seagrasses have a significant
decline. We are missing something just looking at nutrients and algae! We are notadequately assessing the systems health focusing on TMDL parameters.

•

More communication between agencies, including DEP, SFWMD, FDOH, NGOs, andlocal governments; quarterly water quality inter-agency meetings would generate better
agency coordination and hopefully more regional projects•

provide guidance on qa/qc to other agencies that do similar measurements to increase thenumber of robust datasets coming in, partner with SECOORA

A406

Habitat Quality Survey
Please rank the CCMP Habitat Vital Signs below in order of importance for monitoring the healthof the IRL.
1st Rank
Connected
WatersConnected
WatersFilterFeeders
FilterFeeders
FilterFeeders
FilterFeeders
Land
ConservationLand
ConservationLand
ConservationSeagrasses
Seagrasses

Seagrasses

Comments
Everything depends on (needs) water. Everything. Connected waters can have benefits
and consequences depending if you're upstream or downstream of "pollutants" orecological harm. If you can't get the water to be more beneficial to all plants andwildlife, then all the other stuff really doesn't matter. Filter feeders have the ability to"clean" the water. "Cleaner" or less turbid waters will allow seagrasses to flourish with
ample sunlight. When seagrasses flourish, then so does everything else in the tropicalweb, bottom up to top down. Not only by providing habitat refuge but also foodresources and chemical cycling.
Many of these systems work in concert so understanding the inputs to and responsesof habitat forming species (i.e. seagrass, oysters) is essential
Indicator species like seagrasses and filter feeders are much more useful in identifying
IRL health. Its much more difficult to analyze the other parameters and their impact on
the IRL, like land conservation.
Filter feeders (including bivalves, sponges, other fouling species) clean particulates andalgae from the water column, which have been a major concern in recent years.
Seagrasses are important nursery areas and provide habitat. Living shorelines also
provide habitat, protect coastal lands and are lacking in areas that are highly developed.
most sensitive first
Might add mosquito impoundments given Brevard County has so many and managed
so differently.
The order is based on scale/scope-with the idea of broader scope(s)incorporates/includes the microhabitats
The limiting factor surrounding the lagoon is land conservation. What is left will be gonein to development before 2030 . This includes those around connected waters andwetlands.
You must first stop the further loss of available habitat(s) within the watershed to avoid
more habitat fragmentation.
Land conservation would be higher if it was specified as lagoon/tributary front land that
was also adequately managed.
Seagrasses and SAV - foundational species, highest priority. Land conservation - clearly
important to health of IRL, but not sure of the connection to how conserving land
improves monitoring, therefore ranked on the bottom. Perhaps I am misinterpreting
the intended meaning.
I would add some measure of sediment quality/benthos diversity as #2, after seagrassas #1.
I would also add macroalgae (including drift algae and Caulerpa) - changes in
distribution and abundance
A407

Seagrasses
Seagrasses
Seagrasses
Wetlands
Wetlands

I understand why oysters aren't listed separately but when it comes to habitat, oyster
reefs are just as important as seagrasses and wetlands.
Spatial extent is main theme
Conservation of habitats submerged and wetlands are critical to not only thebiodiversity but to the systems ability to adapt to climate change.
I think the wetlands are one of the critical areas for monitoring to promote water qualityand decrease nutrients and pollutants flowing into the Lagoon.
I am focusing on the organisms and ecosystems that contribute most to water quality.

On a scale from 1-3, does the monitoring discussed today provide adequate geographic coveragefor habitat monitoring of the IRL? (1 = it does not, 3 = it definitely does)
Scale
Comments
1
lacking coastal wetland monitoring in vast areas; also filter feeder monitoring regions lacking
1
Wetland monitoring needs to be more extensive and not just a large scale view of acres, but also
considering natural vs. impounded, management, function, and ability to attenuate pollutants.
1
No coverage in Halifax river, and some items had limited coverage in the north1
We don't have good maps (either historic or current) of what areas are important for oysters
and clams.
We only have a synoptic look at shoreline condition (% armored) completed by 2 of 6 counties.
Land use is changing rapidly with associated losses of wetlands and vacant natural areas andrainfall storage and infiltration area.
1
Seagrass systems are well covered but there are huge gaps for filter feeders and wetland
monitoring.
1
While seagrass and water quality monitoring seem to have breadth, the same cannot be said ofother plants and wildlife that the lagoon supports.
1
only seagrasses have adequate coverage
1
The seagrass coverage seems adequate although the frequency is somewhat limited. Shellfish
monitoring is inadequate at this time and unless the dep of Ag or other groups increase staffingthat won't change
1
Monitoring of other bivalve (besides oysters) communities is not included for most of region
1
Habitat monitoring is the forgotten step child and is the key barometer2
We are doing great, but there is always more to do
2
Probably inadequate to cover spatial extent of IRL.
2
Some room for additional data collection related to wetland location throughout
2
We need more information at the Lagoon-wide scale
2
Seagrasses yes buy everything else no.
2
This is more time intensive and costly monitoring. It would be helpful to have more distribution,
but funding sources often dictate the spatial extent.
2
No monitoring is shown in the Halifax River area.
2
Seagrasses are well covered but others are not2
Yes for seagrass, not sure of the other habitats which are not monitored as comprehensively.

A408

On a scale from 1-3, does the monitoring discussed today provide adequate frequency of datacollection for habitat monitoring of the IRL? (1 = it does not, 3 = it definitely does)
Scale
Comments
1
Hard to say, patchy filter feeder monitoring, frequency not discussed. Seagrass monitoring is welldone - not only coverage, but density and depths. Need same for other habitats
1
Only the seagrass and coastal shorelines appear to have sufficient temporal coverage.
1
Aside from seagrass monitoring and the FIMS and creel surveys, most of the habitat monitoring
is not completed on a regular schedule across the majority of the IRL.
1
Seagrass synoptic surveys 1-2 times per year is adequate following the growing season, however
we don't know as much about the seasonality of the filter feeding populations as they respondto the wet and dry season changes in salinity, water depth, temperature, etc.
1
Habitat monitoring appears much less frequent than water quality monitoring
1
only seagrass has adequate frequency
1stated already in previous answer
1
Monitoring of other bivalve (besides oysters) communities is not included for most of region1
insufficient see #4
1
It seems that seagrass monitoring has decreased in frequency because of budget cuts in recent
years. SAV is a dynamic system and yearly or biannual is not going to cut it. In-waterinterpretation is also necessary because photo interpretation is open to bias andmisidentification. How many Caulerpa beds are identified as seagrass?
2
For those limited things monitored, yes and adequate to the extent that financial resources
allow.
2
Probably not, but probably the best we can do given funding constraints.
2
It would be ideal to have data collection at the same frequency level for different areas of thelagoon.
2
Seagrasses yes but other monitoring not so much
2
For seagrasses and largescale mapping of wetlands and oyster reefs only2
Seems to vary among habitat types.
3
I think the habitats show slower rates of change, so less frequent monitoring over larger scales
would be preferable over more frequent monitoring at smaller spatial scales

What is missing from the monitoring discussed today for adequate monitoring of habitat of theIRL?
•a lot of shoreline and coastal habitat monitoring•

Wetlands - connected and protected, function, and management. Filter feeders•

macroalgal coverage, more discussion on connected waters aspects of the Lagoon andhow those are recorded over time•

"Some measure of sediment quality/benthos diversity as #2, after seagrass as #1.

•

Monitoring of macroalgae (including drift algae and Caulerpa) - changes in distribution
and abundance. Some of this is captured with seagrass transects, but not reported out andA409

as accessible as the seagrass data."•

synoptic surveys of the abundance and diversity of species in the different habitat types,
physical drivers of the system (i.e. water residence times, nearshore flow regimes,
nearshore depth changes)•

Monitoring coral habitat could give good insight to IRL health issues and its impact on
the reef system•clarity of purpose for many efforts•

Other vascular plants, invertebrates, secondary production, chemical cycling,
trophodynamics.

•

More comprehensive monitoring of non-seagrass habitats.

•invasive species•

benthic invertebrates•

Process based monitoring is needed. We need to understand the ecological processes
underlying change. Recruitment, predation, etc.

•

Wetlands that are mosquito impoundments•

Need more baseline data to use for management and restoration planning•"shellfish - northern areas and subtidal Brevard•need to mention restoration/living shoreline monitoring (even if project based)"•

Jeff gave a nice presentation, but I didn't hear much about submerged work that is goingon in the tributaries and tributary shorelines and I thought there is quite a bit. Maybe it's
just planned, but not active?

•"Monitoring other bivalve communities/filter feeders (clams, tunicates, sponges andmussels).

•

Saltmarsh habitat monitoring-mangrove encroachment"•

Suggestions in expanding and linking to economic health needs to be more on theforefront•

I would like to see greater emphasis on validation and identification of SAV species andcommunities and their changes at several time scales.
A410

•

Anything about the status of clams in the system.

•

Other forms of habitat (eg mangroves, soft-sediment, etc)•

Specific measured parameters•

Monitoring of habitat in the Halifax River and also some important tributaries that serve
as sources for species that occur in the IRL.

•

Tier 2/3 scale for wetlands and filter feeders•

Macroalgae! Drift MA are often found in waters deeper than what is included in seagrass
transects. They are very dynamic, can soak up and release lots of nutrients, and they are a
substantial part of the primary productivity of the lagoon. Likely important in thedevelopment of the super-bloom. Seems that monitoring does not match their importance.
More effort should be directed toward MA monitoring.

Please list any other comments, suggestions, and recommendations on habitat monitoring of the
IRL.
•

For management, really need to have a projected reference point or historical actual
conditions to compare current conditions with some "ideal", like seagrass looks at thecoverage in the year 1942. What can we use for filter feeders? Historic harvests? A
modeled projection? Same for wetlands/saltmarshes and the migration of wetlands
inland. Don't know much about it but the Wetland Elevation Monitoring in the North IRL
may be important to do throughout the lagoon, if you can find good representative
wetlands to continuously monitor.

•

Would commercial/recreational filter filter catches/closures over time be covered in
Fisheries or in this section?

•

There is much more that could be done in this area.

•

There needs to also be concerted effort to monitor restored habitats and their impacts inaddition to what is there currently. I think this is happening for the most part, at least in
the short term, but am unsure how it is incorporated with this monitoring.

•

Need to expand the shoreline characterization to southern IRL•

needs a lot more funding, all habitats need consistent methods•

Saltmarsh habitat monitoring (Lack thereof and paucity of existing habitat in the IRL)
A411

coupled with mangrove encroachment.
•

Standardization across sites and habitats•

Combination of technologies to leverage the traditional field-based, human-labor driven
monitoring.

•

Expansion will require an integrated multi-disciplinary partnership as we have with theseagrass program. Tying habitat to water quality is essential

Living Resources Survey
Please rank the list of living resources below in order of importance for monitoring the health of
the IRL.
1st Rank
Fisheries
Fisheries
HABs

HABs
HABs
HABs
HABs
HABs
HABs
HABs
HABs

HABs

Comments
Fisheries and birds are important for the economic side of the Lagoon and can serve as
indicator species for other issues in the Lagoon, from habitat conditions to water quality
I found it hard to rank these but i tried to choose more sensitive or indicator species withmore importance. However, i'm not sure I'm equipped with the knowledge to rangethemall.
In general, I arranged the list with lower trophic level/smaller organisms first because thehigher level taxa are reliant on these. Also, harmful algal blooms are a primary concern inrecent years and affect all other groups. Commercial and recreational fisheries are big
concerns from an economic perspective and are easily explainable benchmarks forecosystem health.
grouped by stressors and then some potential indicator species on both ends of the foodchain
Focusing on problematic groups (HABs) and organisms that can be most informative of theoverall biodiversity and ecology.
It is really hard to rank these- they all seem extremely important
HAB's can negatively impact both humans and wildlife.
organisms at the top and bottom of trophic structures are important to look atReally tough to put an order to this list
Monitoring the linkages between drivers, impacts and conditions. These are the indicatorsof impacts and conditions.
This ranking was the most difficult to finish. I ranked HABs, plankton, and macroalgae first
because they are easier to analyze and study than wildlife. HABs are most important tostudy because they are harmful, while the other parameters listed (with the exception ofinvasive species) are not. Charismatic megafauna, like the bottlenose dolphin that resides
in the IRL, may give better insight to IRL health than fisheries that are more mobile. I did notknow what to do with elasmobranchs because I don't know much about them....
Again, I looked at this as more of a holistic question. The HAB, phytoplankton, and otherseem to be more directly linked to IRL health due to their tropic level perhaps. Followed by
A412

fishes and vertebrates higher up and are more difficult to monitor (more specialized tocapture)HABs
The presence of HABs can affect all the others
HABs
Oh my, all of the above are so important.
Macroalgae bottom up approach is important to tackle so focused on primary producers first, thensecondary, etc.
Planktonbase of the food chain is vital as are organisms that use different parts of the lagoon/connected waterbodies/ zones of the estuary
Plankton
Hard to list as some are potential crisis (HAB) and some are more standard monitoring. My
response would change based on the current state of the lagoon.
Plankton
Sensitivity analysis may generally reveal lower trophic levels are more susceptible to change
and demonstrate response variables on a shortened time frame. Thus, lower trophic
organisms are usually used as biological indicators regarding health of an ecosystem.
Invasives can also be used as indicators for the fact that they usually can outcompete natives
during times of change.
Plankton
I arranged my ordering from small and responsive to larger and slower to respond tochanges. The greatest challenges to the IRL seem to be related to the recurrent blooms andthe cascading effects on the whole ecosystem, so concentrate at the base. I work withmanatees, but as a tool to understand SAV and as a part of the whole system.
Plankton
Phytoplankton blooms adversely affect SAV and affect the health of the entire system,
hence top priority. I addressed the importance of macroalgae in my response to the habitat
questionnaire (seems more appropriate there than here).

On a scale from 1-3, does the monitoring discussed today provide adequate geographic coveragefor monitoring the living resources of the IRL? (1 = it does not, 3 = it definitely does)
Scale
Comments
1
Coverage is inadequate. Need better understanding of the linkages that describe the system
dynamics to determine if these are the right things to monitor.
1
unsure from data provided if zoop/ larval fish/ phyto extend adequate
1
Need for bird research involving lagoon shorelines (salt marsh and mangrove)
These habitats are certainly important as migratory corridors as well as nesting/foraging areas.
To tie in with habitats, what are the effects of sea level rise and mangrove encroachment on salt
marsh dependent species?
1
I think HABs took us by surprise and agencies have responded by shoving in some extra samplingbased on the logistics of their ongoing programs. I am not aware of a comprehensive assessmentof where or how often HAB sampling should be done, nor triggers for testing for when toxicity
sampling should begin and end. Hopefully this has happened and I'm just not aware.
1
With some exceptions, it seemed most are relatively limited in spatial area monitored2
some things - yes, other things – no2
regions are well covered but gaps could be filled in2
It appears as though the studies are fragmented and may not represent the IRL as a whole2
It does but there's always room to improve.
2
There are lots of useful monitoring programs going on, but it's difficult to adequately cover the
IRL for any one of these living resources unless multiple agencies and institutions are involved inmonitoring that particular group. So, some are better covered that others.
A413

2
2
2
2

It is likely limited in geographic scope given size of IRL.
For certain vital signs, but maybe not all
Fisheries/forage fish monitoring is focused on adult fishes and does not provide data on juvenile
fishes or small forage fishes.
With money, HAB and other phytoplankton sampling could be sampled more

On a scale from 1-3, does the monitoring discussed today provide adequate frequency of datacollection for monitoring the living resources of the IRL? (1 = it does not, 3 = it definitely does)
Scale
Comments
1
Hard to say. Frequency depends on situation. Also, hard to know if monitoring data arecomparable quality to put them altogether and assess coverage. All of the coverage maps assume
all data are the same.
1
Does not seem the case for many trophic levels
1biodiversity data appears to be limited in temporal coverage
1
We
might
do
enoughfish
dependent
andindependent
monitoring.
The
monthly
coverage
of
chl
a
has
a
good
spacialcoverage.
The UCF turtle work and HUBBs dolphin work is great but what happens if that funding
disappears? Would a government agency step in to keep it up?
1
I agree with the commentary about HAB monitoring needs to be frequent and widespread tobetter understand the dynamics.
1
Just taking manatees as an example: an abundance survey provides a snapshot every 5 years at
a particular time in the season and is not even designed for just the IRL; year-round distribution
surveys of particular counties may be once every 10-20 years. We need monthly surveys toevaluate how manatees are responding to changes in seagrass. I'm sure that the same could besaid of other taxonomic groups.
1
For HAB's, some areas are only sampled when bloom event occurs.
2
For this one, the frequency of data collection is going to vary a lot based on the organism targeted2
same as above - some yes, some no2
for some organisms, more frequent sampling would be an improvement but also costly
2
Not sure2
Temporal scales not very well illustrated.
2
I think having a few weekly sites for HABs is great but there could be an additional one or two to
get better coverage.
2
Where is exists for the most part. Based on the discussion HAB sampling needs to be frequentand I am not certain it is everywhere.
2
I think more water sampling for algae is needed including frequency and locations. Including
toxins and algae identification

What is missing from the monitoring discussed today for adequate monitoring of living resourcesof the IRL?
•

There does not seem to much monitoring focused on invasive species in Lagoon•

bacteria, viruses
A414

•

sponges•

Not sure; I am not a wildlife expert•

Aquaculture, wading birds (birds were mentioned but not in great detail).

•

It would be useful to have benthic microbial monitoring, including bacteria andmicroalgae. Also viral monitoring would be useful, especially given the times. I missed if
anyone is currently doing that in the IRL.

•

mangroves, salt marshes•

Monitoring for smaller size harmful phytoplankton taxa pose a challenge so methods forearly detection and better records of these species would be beneficial.

•microbes and benthos, life cycles and timing (integrating across resources)•

Invertebrate monitoring seems to be inadequate which seems to be interesting as they
have been shown to be good indicators of environmental impacts.

•

More robust data collection for algae species and toxin presents

Please list any other comments, suggestions, and recommendations on living resources monitoringof the IRL.
•

Other potential resources for invasives: Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (Exotic Pest
Plant Database and Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System), Florida Natural
Areas Inventory (iMapInvasives), Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Nonindigenous
Aquatic Species (NAS) Database. FDEP or Greenwater Labs often runs the Algal toxin
analysis for HABs.

•

How accessible is the NASA data? I've seen 1 publication on the health of the alligators.
Is there a need or a way to make NASA study data more accessible?

•

There is still confusion about the definition of HAB. Any monitoring plan should accountfor toxic and shading/turbid blooms - both types are important and harmful - and also
make clear distinctions among types when discussing.

•I think there are more opportunities for citizen science based monitoring programs ofliving resources•

More in depth discussion of HAB monitoring would be useful in the future
A415

•

Expanding in situ monitoring capabilities for HABs?

•

Surveys for phytoplankton resting stages in sediments?

•

integrated models are needed

A416

Appendix 7.2. One Lagoon Workshop Participant Chat Room Comments(Note: Chat Room comments were edited to relevant comments only)
from Amanda Kahn to everyone: 1:35 PM
USGS continuous data in SIRL are available online through SFWMD DBHYDRO :)https://www.sfwmd.gov/science-data/dbhydrofrom DuaneDeFreese to everyone: 1:44 PM
I hope that at the end of the process we will get some direction about the Atm Deposition stationneeds.
from Melinda Donnelly to everyone: 2:18 PM
FYI- The shoreline characterization data for the North Indian River is available for download at
the UCF Library STARS repositiory: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/ceelab-researchdata/2/
from Holly Sweat to everyone: 2:36 PM
The species inventory has been going since the mid 90s, but the big barcoding effort just started
last year.
from Emily Dark to everyone: 2:42 PM
FWC is also conducting a state wide biological assessment of Diamondback terrapins that involves
tagging and monitoring of 3 (or4?) key populations including one up in Cocoa Beach areafrom Richard Paperno to everyone: 2:48 PM
FWC weekly HAB sites are selcted based partially on logistics and partially on historic samplingsites. FWC also takes random samples up in Mosquito Lagoon on a monthly basis.
from Kate to everyone: 2:53 PM
Toxin testing occurs as part of routine HAB monitoring by FWC/FDACS; there are different
thresholds for different HABs
from jfrost to everyone: 2:53 PM
FDEP and FWRI have active programs set up in partnership with other state agencies. Toxin
testing is most often event related. Thus, if an area is experiencing an algal bloom and there arereports to the Department of Health, then toxins are also subsequently measured.
from Amanda Kahn to everyone: 2:53 PM
Re toxin testing, it is also program dependent, some programs specifically target looking forspecies composition and specific toxins.
from Michelle Gaither to everyone: 3:29 PM
eDNA could be an important tool for monitoring areas that we can't get to with trawls and traps.
from Virginia Barker, Brevard County to everyone: 3:43 PM
Identifying gaps is the first step to getting them filled. It may not get them filled, but we won't
know if we don't try.
A417

from Vincent Encomio to everyone: 3:44 PM
Accessibility to the public and our interpretation of that to them, is highly important in addressing
a program's adequacy and value.
from Linda Walters to everyone: 3:46 PM
I would add that some topics do not need ongoing monitoring, but rather short term data collection(e.g. microplastics, aerial coverage of oysters, etc.)from Jeff Beal to everyone: 3:48 PM
Synthesis of various forms of data into Habitat Suitability Index models is a great need for the
IRL. Expanding or designing new monitoring efforts should consider end products such as HSIs.
from Vincent Encomio to everyone: 3:54 PM
I think interfacing more consistently with efforts like MRC's IRL Report Card will help with public
education. A report card is much easier for the public to digest and understand. And all this datafrom these various programs can make those grades more representative of the Lagoon's health.
So more and continued contributions to efforts like the Report Card from institutions that collectand manage data would be important.
from Daniel Slone to everyone: 3:54 PM
Tie into the Southeast Blueprint? (HSI)
from Chip Deutsch to everyone: 3:54 PM
In terms of what the public needs or wants, I think it needs to be provided in a digestible format.
They want to know "How is the lagoon going? Getting better or worse? Are fish/shellfish safe toeat? Are fish coming back? Is it safe to swim in the lagoon? Are manatees/dolphins healthy? etc.
The IRL Health Update Scorecard that Marine Resources Council is probably the right sort of levelto target for the public -- great visuals (red = bad, etc.).
from Virginia Barker, Brevard County to everyone: 3:55 PM
I'd like to add emphasis to chemicals of emerging concern and their bioaccumulation - posing
issues to marine life as well as humans.
from Ron Brockmeyer to everyone: 4:01 PM
The FWC IMM programs spent quite a bit of time discussing the return frequency for mapping.
Might have some insights.

A418