## Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan 

# 2009 System Status Report

Restoration Coordination and Verification (RECOVER)

September 2010		


		
 		


			



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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................... i

LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................ .... xvii

LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................... .... xxi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................... xli

ACRONYMS ...................................................................................................................... ....... xliii

UNITS OF MEASUREMENT ................................................................................................. xlix

KEY FINDINGS .................................................................................................................. ... KF-1 			
 	
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CHAPTER 6. LAKE OKEECHOBEE MODULE ................................................................. 6-1
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CHAPTER 7. NORTHERN ESTUARIES MODULE ........................................................... 7-1
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CHAPTER 8. GREATER EVERGLADES MODULE .......................................................... 8-1
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COMPANION DOCUMENT 8A – MONITORING EARLY AND LATE DRY SEASON AQUATIC FAUNA FORAGE BASE......................................................................... 8A-1

COMPANION DOCUMENT 8B – PREDA TOR-PREY INTERACTIONS OF WADING BIRDS AND AQUATIC FAUNA FORAGE BASE ...................................................8B-1

COMPANION DOCUMENT 8C –VERIFICATION FO THE PREDATOR-PREY CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR WADING BIRDS AND AQUATIC FAUNA FORAGE BASE USING DATA FROM ROSEATE SPOONBILL STUDIES IN FLORIDA BAY ............................................................................................................ 8C-1

CHAPTER 9. SOUTHERN COASTAL SYSTEMS MODULE. .......................................... 9-1
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(	#######################################################################################################	4%&8.Southern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 1 September 2010 Southern Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie Estuary

Freshwater discharges into the St. Lucie River ultimately flow into the Southern Indian River Lagoon and over submerged aquatic vegetation (S AV) communities, which include seagrass and macroalgae. This region was impacted by hurrican es and associated freshwater discharges in 2004 and 2005. Following the hurricanes, observed impacts to Southern Indian River Lagoon SAV communities included large coverage and de nsity declines and smaller direct impacts due to burial by shifting bottom sediments.

The Southern Indian River Lagoon and St. Lu cie Estuary support six species of seagrass: Halodule wrightii, Syringodium filiforme, T halassia testudinum, Halophila decipiens (paddle grass), Halophila johnsonii (Johnson’s grass), and Halophila engelmannii. H. wrightii and S. filiforme are the dominant canopy speci es in the lagoon (Thomps on, 1978; Dawes et al., 1995; Morris et al., 2000). While all of these species ar e most successful in salin ities greater than 20 practical salinity units (psu), H. wrightii can tolerate a wide range of salinity and salinity variations. However, S. filiforme is not as tolerant of low salinities or widely varying salinities (Irlandi, 2006).

Southern Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie Estu ary SAV monitoring consisted of water quality monitoring for salinity and water clarity and four SAV components:

1. Lagoonwide, landscape-scale mapping ever y two to three years since 1986

2. Species-specific landscape-scale mapping in 2007 and 2008 in Southern Indian River Lagoon, and in 1997 and 2007 in St. Lucie Estuary

3. Patch-scale bimonthly monitoring along fi xed transects from August 2002 to August 2007

4. Patch-scale bimonthly monitoring using the patch-quadrat method beginning in November 2007
SAV coverage targets have been developed for the Southern Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie Estuary based on suitable habitat. The target fo r SAV in the Southern In dian River Lagoon is to increase cover of SAV beds to areas that are le ss than 1.7 meter mean sea level (msl) in depth. The lagoon has a total of 19,799 acres of suitable ha bitat, of which 7,808 (39 percent) is already colonized by seagrass. For the St. Lucie Estuary, the target is to increase cover of SAV beds to areas that are less than one meter msl in dept h. The St. Lucie Estuary has 922 acres of suitable habitat, none of which contain seagrass. Th e performance measure documentation sheet is available online at www.evergladesplan.org/pm/recove r/recover_docs/et/ne_pm_sav.pdf . In addition, a target has been devel oped for a salinity range most fa vorable to the estuaries valued ecosystem components (VECs), which include SAV. This salinity is estimated at 12 to 20 psu as measured at the Roosevelt Bridge. The pe rformance measure is available online at www.evergladesplan.org/pm/recover/recove r_docs/et/ne_pm_-salinityenvelopes.pdf

.Southern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 2 September 2010 Landscape-Scale Mapping

Lagoonwide Mapping

SAV distribution has been mapped in the Southern Indian River Lagoon ever y two to three years since 1986, including annual mapping from 2005 through 2007 to assist in hurricane impacts assessment. Areas mapped include the lagoon from the St. Lucie County and Indian River County line south to the Jupiter Inlet. Additi onally, the section of the St. Lucie Estuary downstream of the Roosevelt Bridge is include d within the map boundaries . Map acreage results are presented by lagoon segments (22-26) (Ste ward et al., 2003), which are presented in Figure 1

. Overall lagoon SAV acreage increased from 8,030 acres in 2006 to 8,847 acres in 2007 ( Figure 2 ). The 2007 System Status Report (SSR) (RECOVE R, 2007) noted a declin e in the acreage of dense continuous SAV from 2003 to 2006 between the Stuart Causeway and the St. Lucie Inlet. Gains and additional losses were documented in the same area from 2006 to 2007 ( Figure 2 ). A large area of SAV loss along the west shore previously supported S. filiforme (Rebecca Robbins, personal observation). Field work conducted one year later documented the presence of H. johnsonii (Avineon, Inc. 2008), a diminutive pion eer species that colonizes areas left bare by the loss of canopy forming species and may eventually be replaced by more robust species. This indicates seagrass recovery with in this portion of the lagoon. Areas of “gain” between the Stuart Causeway and St. Lucie Inlet ar e also indications of recovery. These areas are largely shallow, on and along shoals. One year after the mapping, H. wrightii and H. johnsonii (Avineon, Inc 2008) were found in these shallow areas.

Robbins and Conrad (2001) prov ide a detailed analysis of lagoon SAV map data from 1986 to 1999. Their report includes a comparison of seag rass acreage to a 1.7-meter depth target established through the Indian River Lagoon Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) planning process (Steward et al., 2003). The SWIM plan states that this target may not be appropriate for all lagoon segments and direct s the water management districts to evaluate appropriate targets. The SWIM plan suggests a 1-meter depth target for the St. Lucie Estuary. Crean et al. (2007) compared seagrass and water qua lity data to evaluate water quality targets for restoring and protecting lagoon se agrasses. Their targets are ba sed on a 1.3-meter benchmark. All three targets (1.0, 1.3 and 1.7 meters) are shown on Figure 3

.Southern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 3 September 2010 FIGURE 1. MAP OF SOUTHE RN INDIAN RIVER LAGOON AND ST. LUCIE ESTUARY SHOWING LAGOON SEGMENTSSouthern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 4 September 2010 FIGURE 2. SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION CHANGE IN SOUTHERN INDIAN RIVER LAGOON FROM 2006 TO 2007Southern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 5 September 2010 FIGURE 3. POTENTIAL SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION COVER AS FUNCTION OF SUITABILITY AT THREE DEPTHSSouthern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 6 September 2010 Figure 4 shows acreage by segment over time from 1999 to 2007 compared to these depth targets. From 2003 to 2006, total acreage declines , or declines in the dense SAV category, occurred in all segments except Segment 23. The acreage declines are likely a result of hurricane impacts. All segments showed an increase in overall coverage from 2006 to 2007 indicating recovery of SAV resources.

FIGURE 4. SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION ACREAGE AND POTENTIAL COVERAGE TARGETS FROM 1999 TO 2007

Segments 24 and 25 would be the most influe nced by restoration implementation due to proximity to the St. Lucie Estuary. Figure 3 and Figure 4 indicate potential for expansion of SAV in both segments. However, runoff from surrounding mangrove wetlands and heavy boat traffic, which suspend bottom sediments, both cont ributed to the dark waters in Segment 25 and may limit SAV restoration (Robbins and Conrad, 2001).Southern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 7 September 2010 Preliminary depth targets per segment are presented in Table 1 . Water quality around Segment 22 may improve with implementation of the C-25 Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) project ( www.evergladesplan.org/ pm/pro jects/proj_07_irl_south.aspx ). However, those improvements are likely to be localized near the C-25 Canal discharge since much of it exits the lagoon via the Fort Pierce Inlet. Figure 3 shows mapped acreage in this segment often meets the one-meter depth target but sign ificant acreage increases, which are unlikely to result from restoration activities, would be needed to meet the 1.3-meter target. Accordingly, a one-meter depth target is recommended.

TABLE 1. DEPTH TARGETS FOR SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION COVERAGE

Segment Preliminary Depth Target for SAV Coverage 1.0 meter 1.3 meters 1.7 meters 22 X 23 X X 24 X 25 X 26 X St. Lucie Estuary X

For Segment 23, the one-meter target has been consistently exceeded since 1999. Therefore, a target depth of at least one meter should be set fo r this segment. It is unc lear whether restoration efforts will improve water quality in all or parts of this segment. Further evaluation of both water quality and seagrass data are needed for setti ng a preliminary target for this segment.

For Segments 24 and 25, the one-meter target suggested for the adjacent St. Lucie Estuary is recommended for these segments. Figure 3 shows that meeting the one-meter target would result in a substantial increase in SAV coverage in Segment 24 and potentially Segment 25. However, as discussed above, factors othe r than water management strongl y influence water clarity in Segment 25. Finally, Segment 26 acreage consistently exceeds the 1.7-meter SWIM target. Accordingly, the target for this se gment should be at least 1.7 meter.

Species Specific Mapping in Southern Indian River Lagoon

Lagoon-wide SAV maps, based on aerial photographs, provide an overall understanding of the SAV coverage and distribution in segments. Howe ver, these maps do not provide information on SAV species distribution. Understanding SAV sp ecies distribution is important for water management considerations because SAV species found in the Southern Indian River Lagoon have species specific salinity thresholds (Irlandi , 2006). Once restoration projects are completed, species shifts may occur, which cannot be detect ed from maps created from aerial photographs.Southern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 8 September 2010 FIGURE 5. SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION SPECIES IN BEDS NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE ST. LUCIE RIVER 

### Halophila decipiens 6%

Halodule wrightii

46% Syringodium filiforme 19% Halophila johnsonii 29% Thalassia testudinum 0% The portion of the lagoon most affected by water ma nagement practices is the area that receives discharges from the St. Lucie Es tuary. Accordingly, the ar ea of the lagoon adjacent to the estuary mouth was selected for a species specific mappi ng project. The field work was completed in 2007 and 2008.

Of the area mapped, almost 50 percent was occupied by H. wrightii ( Figure 5 ). Dominance by this species is likely due to bathymetry and salinity tolerance. Other canopy forming species present in the lagoon, S. filiforme and T. testudinum, are less successful in these very shallow areas, which are less than 0.6 meter msl. Additionally, of the canopy forming species, H. wrightii has the greatest tolerance of both salinity range and variability (Irlandi , 2006), and can better adapt to the fluctuating salinities experienced near the mouth of the estuary. As distance from the mouth of the St. Lucie Estuary increased, the percentage of H. wrightii declined and T. testudinum and H. decipiens increased ( Figure 6 ). The lack of shoals north of the Stuart Causeway and a more stable salinity re gime may account for these differences.

Since the species specific mapping field work was done following the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, mapped distribution helped document rec overy in some areas. Based on monitoring results discussed below, some beds of S. filiforme were impacted, with reduced density and elimination, near the mouth of the St. Lucie Estuary. It is exp ected, that over time, some areas mapped as Halophila sp and H. wrightii will shift to S. filiforme dominated beds.Southern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 9 September 2010 FIGURE 6. 2007-2008 SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION SPECIES DISTRIBUTION FOR THE SO UTHERN INDIAN RIVER LAGOON Halophila decipiens

24%

Halodule wrightii

26% Syringodium

filiforme

18% Halophila johnsonii

20% Thalassia tetudinum 12%

Halophila decipiens 1% Halodule wrightii

48%

Syringodium

filiforme

19% Halophila johnsonii

31% Thalassia testudinum 1%Southern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 10 September 2010 Species Specific Mapping in St. Lucie Estuary

Historic SAV maps ( Figure 7a, b and c) show SAV extending through out the estuary. The most recent maps were completed in 1997 ( Figure 7d ) and 2007 ( Figure 8 ). Most areas inspected during these mapping projects did not support SAV. In 2007, very sparse (less than 10 percent cover in most areas) SAV was present in the lowe r and middle estuary, but not in either of the forks. Three seagrass species occurred within the estuary: H. wrightii
, H. johnsonii and H. decipiens . The majority of the SAV occurred in small isolated patches. The dominant SAV species in 2007 was H. johnsonii . It also extended farther upstream than any other SAV species.

A previous study determined that a depth target of approximately one meter was recommended for SAV restoration in the St. Lu cie Estuary (Steward et al., 1994). Meeting this depth target may result in a thin fringe of SAV throughout much of the estuary. St. Lu cie Estuary restoration efforts are focusing on meeting oyster salinity re quirements in the middle estuary, so seagrasses with similar requirements should be able to recruit into these areas. R. maritima is the most likely SAV species to be successful in the North and S outh Forks once the restoration salinity regime is in place as this species is adapted to lower sa linity conditions (Irlandi, 2006). The middle estuary

FIGURE 7. ST. LUCIE ESTUARY SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION MAP FOR A) 1940-1960, B) 1960-1980, C) 1980-1996, D) 1997 

## a

d c bSouthern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 11 September 2010 would most likely support SAV species such as H. wrightii and H. johnsonii . The lower estuary, where highest salinity and clear est water would occur, would mo st likely continue to support H. wrightii and H. johnsonii , and may eventually support S. filiforme as observed by Phillips (1960).

FIGURE 8. ST. LUCIE ESTUARY SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION MAP COMPLETED IN 2007Southern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 12 September 2010 Patch-Scale Monitoring

Fixed Transect Method

Patch-scale monitoring documents seasonal changes in seagrass and associated macro-algae (i.e. epiphytes, attached algae and drift al gae). The four study sites are shown on Figure 9 . Sites 1 and 4 were monitored for one year from August 2002 through eptember 2003. Sites 2 and 3 were monitored for five years from August 2002 through August 2007.

FIGURE 9. FIXED TRANSECT SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION SAMPLING SITES

Mean shoot counts and canopy heights for S. filiforme prior to hurricane impacts are shown in Figure 10 and Figure 11 , respectively. Peak shoot counts (approximately 1,400 shoots per square meter [/m 2 ]) and canopy heights (maximum at Site 2 approaching 50 centimeter [cm]) occurred in July for Sites 1 through 3. A si gnificantly lower shoot count peak (approximately 400 shoots/m 2 ) occurred at Site 4 in September ( Figure 10 ). Peak canopy height at Site 4 occurred in June ( Figure 11 ). However, field notes from July indicate that gr azing by manatees or sea turtles observed in the area appeared to ha ve reduced the canopy height. Site 4 is a small, patchy site, heavily impacted by boat wakes and may not be representative of most lagoon S. filiforme beds.Southern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAVNorthern Estuaries ModuleFinal 2009 System Status Report13September 2010FIGURE 10. S. FILIFORMEMEAN SHOOT COUNTS (±SE) AT SITES1, 2 AND 4 PRIOR TO HURRICANESSouthern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAVNorthern Estuaries ModuleFinal 2009 System Status Report14September 2010FIGURE 11. S. FILIFORMECANOPY HEIGHT (MEAN±SE) AT SITES1, 2 AND 4 PRIOR TO HURRICANES AUGUST2002 TO SEPTEMBER 2003Southern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 15 September 2010 Figure 12 shows preliminary data on drift (prima rily red algae) and attached algae ( Caulerpa sp.) percent occurrence, as well as epiphyte coverage at Site 2 pr ior to the hurricane impacts. All months had low occurrence of drift algae with a pparent peaks from February through April and another in November. Attached algae occu rrence was greatest from March through June. Additional data analysis is needed to fully ev aluate algae data collected during this project.

FIGURE 12. MACRO ALGAE A) MEAN CO VERAGE (± SE ) AND B) PERCENT OCCURRENCE PRIOR TO HURRICANE IMPACTS AT SITE 2 PRIOR TO HURRICANES AUGUST 2002 TO AUGUST 2004

In addition to the seasonal decline in water clarity toward the end of the summer, there is also a seasonal rise in water level. Figure 13 provides a conceptual di agram based on water level readings from the Jensen Beach Causeway collected during pre-hurricane SAV monitoring,

FIGURE 13. CONCEPTUAL DIAGRAM OF NATURAL FACTORS DRIVING SEASONAL VARIATION IN SEAGRASS GROWTH 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov DecDepth (cm)

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14Photoperiod (hours)

Monthly Maximum Water Level Mean S. filiforme Canopy Height Photoperiod ~ 74 ~114 cmSouthern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 16 September 2010 mean canopy height at Site 2, and the elevation of the lagoon bottom near the middle of Site 2. The late summer and early fall d ecline in canopy height and shoot counts coincides with reduced photoperiod, declining temperatur es, increased water levels ove r reduced canopy heights, and greater light attenuation in the water column due to increased turbidity and color and shallower Secchi depths. All of these factors help define the seasonal variability of lagoon seagrasses.

In 2004 and 2005, hurricanes impacted the area. Figure 14 summarizes the hurricane effects experienced at Site 2. From project initiation in 2002 through 2004, the site supported a lush S. filiforme bed. Low salinities and associated p oor water quality greatly impacted S. filiforme at this site and likely other beds in the area. The hurricanes also altered bathymetry on the east and west edges of the site, covering seagrasses.

FIGURE 14. CHANGES IN SEAGRASS PERCENT OCCURRENCE AND DOMINANT SPECIES FROM 2002 TO 2007 AT SITE 2 SHOWING HURRICANE EFFECTSSouthern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 17 September 2010 Figure 15 documents the decline in S. filiforme percent occurrence at Site 2 following the 2004 hurricanes. However, the steepest decline in percent occurrence of this species occurred in 2005 after Hurricane Wilma. Much of the S. filiforme was lost from the site. H. johnsonii followed by H. wrightii colonized the former S. filiforme habitat and recruited throughout the site. Available data indicates a clear trend toward recovery of the S. filiforme bed at this site and these findings should apply to other areas in the vicinity.

At Site 3 (as depicted in Figure 16 ), the S. filiforme bed was buried by sediment during the 2004 hurricanes. As of March 2009, very little recovery of S. filiforme has occurred at this site ( Figure 16 ). As observed at Site 2, H. wrightii percent occurrence increased following the hurricane impacts, as did percent occurrence of H. johnsonii

. H. decipiens percent occurrence does not show a distinct trend at this site. FIGURE 15. MEAN (± SE) PERCENT OCCURRENCE OF S. FILIFORME , H. WRIGHTII AND H. JOHNSONII AT SITE 2 FROM AUGUST 2002 TO MARCH 2007Southern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAVNorthern Estuaries ModuleFinal 2009 System Status Report18September 2010FIGURE 16. MEAN (±SE) PERCENT OCCURRENCE OF S. FILIFORME, H. WRIGHTII, H. JOHNSONIIAND

H. DECIPIENSAT SITE 3 FROM AUGUST 2002 TO MARCH 2007Southern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 19 September 2010 Patch-Quadrat Method

As the five-year study discu ssed above was concluding, a new SAV monitoring methodology was developed. This methodology is discussed in more detail at the beginning of the SAV section. Ten monitoring sites were established in Southe rn Indian River Lagoon ( Figure 17 ). The site sizes and current SAV species composition are provided in Table 2 . From October 2007 through November 2008, S outh Florida Water Management District Scientists (SFWMD) scientists tested the new me thods at least once at each of the ten sites. Beginning in December 2008, a team of consulta nts began monitoring each of the ten sites bimonthly. Three sites, WILL_CK , Site 2 and SLI_SE, are m onitored monthly to provide information for SFWMD operation decisions.

As discussed above, the new monitoring prog ram was formally started in December 2008. Percent cover and canopy height measured during testing and initial monitoring events are shown in Figure 18 and Figure 19 , respectively, for Site 2. The canopy species had peak canopies in June (monitoring wa s not conducted in July), wh ich compares well with prehurricane data. Peak S. filiforme heights (approximately 30 centimet ers) are comparable to those measured at Sites 1 and 3 during the monthly monitoring project, but not as high as peak heights at Site 2 prior to the hurricanes. S. filiforme canopy height was significantly greater than H. wrightii during peak growth.

The new monitoring program includes a site w ithin the St. Lucie Estuary at Willoughby Creek (WILL_CK in Figure 17 ). This site supports the most up stream, persistent SAV bed in the estuary. Initial monitoring occurred in July 2008, during which time the bed supported both H. wrightii and H. johnsonii ( Figure 20 ). Following the monitoring even t, freshwater discharges into the estuary reduced sa linities in the estuary ( Figure 22 ). The next monitoring event occurred in October 2008. During that monitoring event, no H. johnsonii was observed and percent occurrence of H. wrightii declined ( Figure 20) . Continued monitoring ha s documented recovery of H. wrightii , but not H. johnsonii

. Figure 21 shows the seagrass canopy height at this site.

Summary

While the regions’ SAV experienced severe stress as a result of the hurricanes and associated freshwater discharge, the system’s SAV stat us is improving as documented by increases in mapped acreage, recruitment into areas left bare following the hurricanes, and transition from pioneer to canopy species.

During the next SSR update peri od, the SFWMD intends to map the Southern Indian River Lagoon from 2009 imagery if funding is available. It is recommended that groundtruthing during this effort include inspec tions of areas mapped as H. johnsonii during the 2007 to 2008 species specific mapping to determine if recovery is continuing with species composition shifting to canopy species.Southern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 20 September 2010 FIGURE 17. NEW METHODOLOGY SU BMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION SAMPLING SITES IN SOUTHERN INDI AN RIVER LAGOON, ST. LUCIE ESTUARY AND LAKE WORTH LAGOONSouthern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 21 September 2010 TABLE 2. SITE SIZES AND CURRENT SA V SPECIES COMPOSITION OF NEW

SAMPLING SITES IN SOUTHERN INDIAN RIVER LAGOON AND ST. LUCIE ESTUARY Site Name Seagrass Species Size

BSI (Site 2) Syringodium filiforme Halodule wrightii Halophila johnsonii Thalassia testudinum Halophila decipiens 1.87 acres

SLI_NE Halodule wrightii Halophila johnsonii Thalassia tetudinum 1.90 acres

SITE_1 Halodule wrightii Syringodium filiforme Halophila johnsonii Halophila decipiens 1.91 acres

WILL_CK Halodule wrightii Halophila johnsonii Thalassia testudinum 1.88 acres

SLI_SE Halodule wrightii Halophila johnsonii 0.80 acres

FP_NW Halodule wrightii Syringodium filiforme Halophila johnsonii Halophila engelmannii Thalassia testudinum 1.71 acres

FP_NE Halodule wrightii Thalassia testudinum Syringodium filiforme 1.92 acres

SITE_3 Halophila johnsonii Halodule wrightii Halophila decipiens Syringodium filiforme 0.69 acres

OC_BR_PK Halodule wrightii Syringodium filiforme 1.93 acres

JOES_PT Halodule wrightii Syringodium filiforme Halophila johnsonii Halophila decipiens 1.83 acresSouthern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 22 September 2010 FIGURE 18. MEAN ( + SE) PERCENT COVER OF SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION AT SITE 2 DURING TESTING AND INITIAL MONITORING EVENTS USING NEW METHODOLOGY

FIGURE 19. MEAN ( + SE) CANOPY HEIGHT OF SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION AT SITE 2 DURING TESTING AND INITIAL MONITORING EVENTS USING NEW METHODOLOGY 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100Percent Occurrence 

### Site 2 Percent Occurrence of Seagrass

Halodule wrightii Syringodium filiforme Halophila johnsonii

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35Average Canopy Height (cm) 

### Site 2 Average Seagrass Canopy Height per Species

Halodule wrightii Syringodium f iliforme Halophila johnsoniiSouthern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 23 September 2010 FIGURE 20. MEAN (±SE) PERCENT OCCURRENCE OF SEAGRASS AT WILLOUGHBY CREEK IN THE ST. LU CIE ESTUARY FROM JULY 2008 TO MARCH 2009

FIGURE 21. MEAN (±SE) SHOOT COUN TS OF SEAGRASS AT WILLOUGHBY CREEK IN THE ST. LUCIE ESTUAR Y FROM JULY 2008 TO MARCH 2009 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100Percent Occurrence 

### Willoughby Creek Percent Occurrence of Seagrass

Halodule wrightii Halophila johnsonii

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50Canopy Height (cm) 

### Willoughby Creek Seagrass Canopy Height

Halodule wrightii Halophila johnsoniiSouthern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 24 September 2010 FIGURE 22. SALINITY NEAR THE WILLOUGHBY CREEK SITE

REFERENCES
Avineon, Inc. 2008. 2008 Species Specific SAV Mapping Test Project (Phase II). Final Project Report for contract ST061300-WO05 for South Fl orida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, FL. September 2008.

Crean, D.J., R.M. Robbins and N. Iricanan. 2007. Water quality target development in the Southern Indian River Lagoon. Fl orida Scientist 70(4):522-531.

Dawes, C.J., D. Hanisak and W.J. Kenworthy. 1995. Seagrass biodi versity in the Indian River Lagoon. Bulletin of Marine Sciences 57(1):59-66.

Irlandi, E. 2006. Literature Review of Salinity Effects on Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) found in the Southern Indian River Lagoon a nd Adjacent Estuaries. South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, FL.

Morgan and Eklund, Inc. 2003. Lake Worth Lagoon Bathymetric Survey. Prepared for Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management, West Palm Beach, FL.

Morris, L.J., R.W. Virnstein, J.D. Miller and L.M. Hall. 2000. Monitori ng seagrass changes in Indian River Lagoon, Florida using fixed tran sects. Pages 167-176 in S.A. Bortone (ed), Seagrasses: Monitoring, Ecology, Physiology, and Management, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Jan08 Jul08 Jan09Salinity (psu) 

### St. Lucie Estuary Bottom Mean Daily Salinity Near Willoughby Creek

Data provisional and subject to changeSouthern Indian River Lagoon & St. Lucie Estuary SAV Northern Estuaries Module

Final 2009 System Status Report 25 September 2010 Phillips, R.C. 1960. Observations on the ecology a nd distribution of the Florida sea grasses. Professional Papers Series, Florid a Board of Cons ervation 2:1-72.

RECOVER. 2007. 2007 System Stat us Report. Restoration C oordination and Verification Program c/o United States Army Corps of E ngineers, Jacksonville, FL, and South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, FL. July 2007.

Robbins, R. and C. Conrad. 2001. Southern I ndian River Lagoon seagrass change analysis (1986-1999). South Florida Water Manageme nt District, West Palm Beach, FL.

Steward, J.S., R. Brockmeyer, P. Gostel, P. Si me and J. Van Arman. 2003. Indian River Lagoon Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Plan, 2002 Update. St. Johns River Water Management District, Palatka, FL, a nd South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, FL.

Thompson, M.J. 1978. Species composition and distribu tion of seagrass beds in the Indian River Lagoon, FL. Florida Scientist 41(2):90-96.