Florida Reefs

[Joe]

All,

Here is an article I received in an e-mail today. You now what they say on NBC during rerun season. "If you haven't seen it it's new to you"

Biologists say that some South Florida coral reefs are being taken over by an accelerated growth of algae.
Brian LaPointe of the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution told the Palm Beach Post that his early research is indicating that the algae are feeding on nitrogen from human waste that could be coming from sewage-treatment systems.
LaPointe says when invasive algae cover a reef they reduce space for corals to grow.
The researcher's work is funded by a $75,000 grant from Florida's Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force.


Joe

[ScottC]

The amount of waste washing out of the everglades, moving south, is choking the reefs in Florida. The higher nutrient levels are feeding algae and cyanobacteria way beyond normal acceptable levels in nature. Coral tissue is giving way to algal blooms, quickly decimating populations of staghorn, brain, etc.

The solution? A start would be new management in the Glades. The 2 main roads across the state, Rt 75 (Aligator Alley) and Rt 41 (Tamiami Trail) both should be elevated 5-10 feet off of the ground, much like Rt 10 in southern Louisiana.

The Glades are actually a huge wide river, ranging from a few feet to a few inches deep, miles and miles across. It slowly flows across South Florida, depositing nutrients and sediment evenly across the peninsula. The 2 main roads across the state block this sheeting action, reducing it to something more similar to a narrow, deep river. This river allows the sediment and nutrients to flow right past the land it should be spreading over, and to flow directly into the Florida Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic, and ultimately over the reefs.

A suspended roadway would allow for the more natural flow of the water to deposit it's ingredients. The manmade waste held within the water as it is now is already a hazard, but it's potentecy would be greatly reduced if it is allowed to run it's natural course over the land. It would equate to a healthier Glades and a healthier reef. The water parameters in the area already read at levels of a dead reef, and it's chances of a comeback are questionable. Hopefully new management can do something positive.

My $.02

Scott