The Ecological Threats to Southern Florida
Michael J. Shearouse
University of Phoenix/ Env 310
Mark Kehoe

Imagine diving along the Florida Keys and not seeing the pristine coral reefs with thousands of fish forming a kaleidoscope of colors surrounding the reef. Then going about 150 miles northwest and just finding a monument telling the story of once,” great river of slow moving grass,” which used to flow in this semi-arid condominium filled part of Florida. These are not just part of concerned citizens and groups conservation active imagination these are ecological problems two of the greatest ecosystems in the world are facing today. Unless the United States and the State of Florida take steps to conserve coral reefs in the Florida Keys and restore the Florida Everglades today this is the reality of future generations.
Coral Reefs Threats to coral reef are many, and the solution must be cohesive not scattered when addressing these threats. Implementing a cohesive ecosystem-based management approach is the key protecting the coral reefs from these threats. Ensuring a holistic and combined approach will support a healthy, living, resilient, coral reef. The methods used the Pacific Island coral reefs to preserve their ecosystems might not be the methods needed to meet the needs of the Florida Keys coral reef’s ecosystem. The different approaches necessary to maintain the varying community needs and address the local coral reef ecosystem is called a multidisciplinary approach. Multidisciplinary Approach The importance of a multidisciplinary approach to conserving the coral reefs of the Florida Keys cannot be under estimated. Knowing the physical, chemical, and biological needs of the living coral reef system is critical but alone cannot conserve the coral reef ecosystem. The support of the surrounding community in economic, political, and social support is necessary to maintain the support for decisions to conserve the local coral reef ecosystem. Knowing this, an integrated management approach would implement the scientific needs of the Florida Key coral reef ecosystem and find activities that would convey successfully these needs to engage the local communities in the support of these needs. An example of this would be the protection of coral reef ecosystems in the Florida Keys in necessary to maintain the world class fishing found there, (Fenner, Douglas, 2012). Ecosystem-based fishery management, integrated costal management, and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are three successful conservation themes that need to be researched for conserving the Florida Key coral reef ecosystem. Florida Everglades The Florida Everglades is the world’s only known ecosystem of its kind. The Everglades National Park has five different and unique wildlife and plant habitats within the park itself. These range from the high pinelands to the swamplands that flow to Florida Bay. The majority of the everglades is outside the national park has been devastated by the progress of development. The restoration of this part of the everglades is a must to ensure the survivability of the natural ecosystem that encompasses most of central and southern Florida.
Survivability of the diverse plant and animal life is one reason the restoration of the everglades is important. Black bears, the endangered American crocodile, and several species of native palms are all threatened by human encroachment. In all 56 different species of animals are endangered, 22 of these endangered reside in seven wildlife havens that includes a National Marine Sanctuary, two National Parks, and four National Wildlife Refuges,(Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2013). The continued effort to keep the Florida Panthers alive is slowed by those hit by cars driven by humans traveling through the everglades.
History
The damage inflicted by humans on the southern Florida everglades during the 20th century has been extensive, both intentional, and unintentional. The restoration project will be the most extensive and expensive restoration in history. The attention of the nation was focused on the everglades in the early 1970s. The debate that raged over a proposed jetport that would have crippled the everglades revealed the degradation that had occurred. The environmental studies conducted concluded that the jetport would have destroyed the threatened ecosystem in the Everglades, (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2013). After decades of trying to destroy the everglades the state of Florida combined with national environmental agencies are researching ways to restore the natural everglades. This is a balancing act because the farming and urban centers encroaching the Everglades and those inside it are established and have their own needs.
Flood Control lead to Restoration Projects
According to (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2013), the flooding caused by hurricanes in 1947, prompted the State of Florida to create the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control Project (C&SF) that established a flood. The last project, the C-38 canal, almost destroyed the whole ecosystem of the everglades and adversely affecting water quality, (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2013). Backfilling the C-38 canal in the 1980s was the beginning of the restoration of the everglades. In 1986 high levels of mercury and phosphorus were discovered in waterways and national and state environmental agencies focused on this issue, (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2013). The legal issues waged by various government agencies over the water quality issues caused Governor Lawton Chiles to propose and champion the Everglades Forever Act in 1994, (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2013). This has restored the water quality to levels not seen in decades in the South Florida ecosystem. The passage of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) in 2000 is a restoration project that will encompass 30 years and cost billions of dollars to complete, (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2013).
Conclusion
Conserving the Florida Key Coral Reef Ecosystem along with the restoration of the Florida Everglades is important for both ecological and human survivability in South Florida. The tourism industry would be negatively affected by the loss of the fishing industry in the Florida Keys and the diverse habitats of the Everglades that millions of tourists flock to each year. The economic impact on South Florida would be a major blow and possibly destroy the tourist industry in the south region of Florida. The belief that the restoration of the Everglades along with the conservation of the Florida Key Coral Reef Ecosystem is purely an ecological restoration adventure is poorly misguided. The future economy of South Florida depends on the successful completion of the projects necessary to preserve these natural wonders that many humans want to experience each year. This is not only an ecological restoration but also an economic rescue that will determine the sustainability of millions of humans that reside in South Florida today. Environmental Managers across the nation believe that the successful protection of these two ecosystems in the South Florida will determine the fate of the national ecological fate.

References:
Fenner, D. Challenges for Managing Fisheries on Diverse Coral Reefs. Diversity. 2012; 4(1):105-160
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2013). Restoration of the Everglades. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restoration_of_the_Everglades?&lang=en_us&output=json&session-id=b99e4b5824ca53eaa7525bb79ae7768b