S O U T H
F L O R I D A
W A T E R
M A N A G E M E N T
D I S T R I C T
Caloosahatchee River Science Workshop
Florida Gulf Coast University
November 19, 2013
Ecological Indicators
for a Healthy
Caloosahatchee
Estuary
Peter H. Doering, Ph.D.
Section Administrator, Coastal Ecosystems
South Florida Water Management District
West Palm Beach Florida
S O U T H
F L O R I D A
W A T E R
M A N A G E M E N T
D I S T R I C T
Outline
 What is an ecological indicator?
 Why use them?
 What constitutes a good indicator?
 What indicators are currently used in the
Caloosahatchee?
S O U T H
F L O R I D A
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M A N A G E M E N T
D I S T R I C T
What is a Healthy Ecosystem?
or
“We all know one when we see one”
S O U T H
F L O R I D A
W A T E R
M A N A G E M E N T
D I S T R I C T
The Iowa Great Lakes
East Lake Okoboji
West Lake
Okoboji
S O U T H
F L O R I D A
W A T E R
M A N A G E M E N T
D I S T R I C T
Ecosystem Health
 Ecosystem Health:
The system’s ability to realize functions
desired by society and maintain them over
a long period of time.
(Rombouts et al. 2013 Ecological Indicators 24: 353-365.)
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D I S T R I C T
What is an Ecological Indicator?
Indicators are quantitative representations of the
forces that drive a system, of responses to forcing
functions, or of previous, current or future states of
a system.
(Salas et al. 2006. Ocean and Coastal Management 49:308-331.)
Air Pollution in the Northeast: Hazecam Network
View from Cadillac Mountain
Nov. 8, 1999
Visual Range = 199 mi
Aug. 25, 1999
Visual Range= 30 mi
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M A N A G E M E N T
D I S T R I C T
Why Use Them?
 Ecosystems are complex and indicators can
help describe them in simpler terms
• Indicators are used because it is impossible to
measure everything all the time: it costs too
much and takes too much time
 When they are used effectively, indicators
are expected to reveal conditions and trends
that help in management, planning and
decision-making
S O U T H
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D I S T R I C T
Indicators of Ecosystem Health
East Lake Okoboji
Indicator of
Metric
Forcing
Functions
Algae Blooms
Water Quality
Trophic Status
Chlorophyll a
Nutrient
Loading,
Flushing,
Food Web
Everglades
Roseate Spoonbills
Hydro-period
Water Depth
Prey Availability
Number
of Nests
Hydrology
(Climate,
H2O Mgmt)
S O U T H
F L O R I D A
W A T E R
M A N A G E M E N T
D I S T R I C T
An Indicator can be:
 A single species or
parameter
Spoonbills
 A group of species or
community
Seagrasses
 An aggregated
measure or index
FL Trophic State Index for Lakes = f(TN, TP, Chla)
Index of Biotic Integrity = f(Community metrics)
S O U T H
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M A N A G E M E N T
D I S T R I C T
What makes a good indicator?
Or
The Seven Habits of a Highly Effective Indicator
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Representative of the system
Sufficiently sensitive to provide an early warning of change
Capable of providing a continuous assessment over a wide
range of stress
Relatively independent of sample size
Easy and cost effective to measure, collect, assay, or calculate
Able to differentiate between natural cycles and trends and
those induced by anthropogenic stress
Relevant to ecologically significant phenomena
Noss, R.F. 1990. Indicators for monitoring biodiversity: A hierarchical approach. Conservation
Biol. 4(4): 355-364.
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D I S T R I C T
What makes a good indicator?
Or
Some Additional Criteria for a Highly Effective Indicator
 Its meaning can be easily communicated to many audiences
 Can form the basis for measurable targets to allow for
assessments of success of restoration or management
actions
 Indicates a feature specific enough to result in management
action or corrective action
Doren, R.F et al. 2009. Ecological Indicators 9S: S2-S16.
Salas et al. 2006. Ocean and Coastal Management 49:308-331.
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D I S T R I C T
Ecosystem Complexity
 Because ecosystems are complex, one indicator
is unlikely to reflect all of it, so multiple indicators
are probably necessary
 Individual indicators provide discrete pieces of
information about one, or perhaps few
constituents of the ecosystem, while the suite of
indicators in combination is intended to reflects
the status of the larger ecosystem
Doren, R.f et al. 2009. Ecological Indicators 9S: S2-S16
S O U T H
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M A N A G E M E N T
D I S T R I C T
Complexity in an Estuary:
The Salinity Gradient
Within most estuaries salinity varies spatially, being low at the head and
high near the mouth. Different organisms occupy different portions of the
estuarine salinity gradient. Multiple indicators are required to reflect conditions
along different portions of the salinity gradient
Prefer Low Salinity
0
5
10
Prefer Higher Salinity
15
20
Salinity Gradient psu
25
30
S O U T H
Attributes
Attributes are a
subset of the
components of the
natural system that
represent the overall
ecological conditions
of the system, some
of which may be
useful as indicators.
F L O R I D A
W A T E R
M A N A G E M E N T
D I S T R I C T
Conceptual Ecological Model
S O U T H
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W A T E R
M A N A G E M E N T
D I S T R I C T
Ecological Indicators
in the Caloosahatchee
Ecological Indicator
Used By
For
SAV
SFWMD, RECOVER, CHNEP,
FDEP
Freshwater Inflows,
Ecosystem Condition,
Goal/ Target, Water
Quality (TMDL, NNC)
Oysters
SFWMD, RECOVER, CHNEP
Freshwater Inflows,
Ecosystem Condition,
Goal/ Target
Fish
CHNEP
Goal/Target
S O U T H
F L O R I D A
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M A N A G E M E N T
D I S T R I C T
Ecological Indicators
in the Caloosahatchee
 Monitoring some of these indicators for
over a decade.
• Are they telling us what we need to know?
• Are they still appropriate?
 Understanding of the Caloosahatchee has
increased since the original ecological
model.
• Are there other useful indicators we should be
using?
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M A N A G E M E N T
D I S T R I C T
Questions
 What driver is the indicator sensitive to and
is this ecologically relevant?
 What are the strengths and limitations of
this indicator and what more do we need
to know?
S O U T H
F L O R I D A
W A T E R
M A N A G E M E N T
D I S T R I C T
Thank You
Ecological Indicators
for a Healthy Caloosahatchee Estuary
Peter H. Doering, Ph.D.
Section Administrator, Coastal Ecosystems
South Florida Water Management District
West Palm Beach Florida
Kitchell Key, San Carlos Bay