Some people are more than happy to go jump in a lake, or at least, take a few samples from one.
Florida Lakewatch volunteers got together Sunday afternoon to share food and the stories of the work they've done during the past several years to collect data from more than 17 area lakes. Lakewatch, a nonprofit organization through the University of Florida, is the only research program gathering monthly data to study lakes and water bodies all over the state. The data collection is important to study the natural cycles of water systems, thus being able to tell when a lake or creek is in environmental danger, Terrell said. Without the data it would be difficult to tell if what might seem a disastrously high algae bloom or shortage of bass is a normal part of the lake's cycle or a serious problem. The lakes of Walton and Okaloosa counties are not the only things being watched, volunteers also take samples from Choctawhatchee Bay and Peach Creek.