CERP System Status Reports The Evolution from

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1 CERP System Status Reports The Evolution from Eliza Hines 22 July 2009

2 Everglades Restoration Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) 18,000 sq mile ecosystem Everglades & South Florida Authorized by WRDA /50 federal/state cost share 68 components 30-year implementation schedule

3 CERP System-wide Science REstoration COordination and VERfication (RECOVER) Focus on science of restoration Programmatic and system-wide perspective Interagency and interdisciplinary Collaborative and consensus-based 3 mission areas assessment, evaluation, & planning Monitoring and Assessment Plan (MAP) (2004) Assessment Strategy (2006) MAP Revision (2009)

4 CERP Monitoring Physiographic regions (modules) Greater Everglades, Northern Estuaries, Southern Coastal Systems, and Lake Okeechobee ~35 monitoring components Ecological, biological, water quality Within and cross-module monitoring Leverages monitoring from other agencies Heart of the CERP Adaptive Management (AM) Program

5 CERP Assessment Goals Holistic description of the status of the Everglades ecosystem Synthesis of findings across modules and across years Summary of ecosystem changes as they relate to CERP goals and objectives Evaluation of the results as they relate to system-level hypotheses and Interim Goals (IGs) Identification of major unanticipated findings Link between science, reporting, and decision-making (AM)

6 2006 System Status Report Pilot System Status Report (SSR) Proof-of-concept for the Assessment Strategy (2006) Establish pre-cerp reference condition and determine the ability to detect change Assess whether sampling, variability, data quality, and statistical methods are sufficient

7 Lessons Learned 2006 SSR 400+ page document voluminous Not user friendly Too technical in nature Not a synthesis and not integrative data dump parsed out by geographic module Not an effective tool for use by managers and decision-makers Overview too scientific No link to on-the-ground decision-making

8 2007 System Status Report First comprehensive assessment of MAP data Leverages CERP and non-cerp data Establishes pre-cerp reference conditions No CERP projects constructed yet Begins to link monitoring, assessment, and decision-making (AM) Targets broader user group Includes Executive Summary and high-level overview

9 Lessons Learned 2007 SSR Needs to be user-friendly intended audience is extremely diverse Needs to employ an integrative approach Assess across geographic modules Assess across years Needs a more robust assessment process Single Hypothesis Hypothesis clusters Example: Predator-prey (Greater Everglades) Must link science to management actions and decisionmaking

10 Moving Beyond Performance Measures drivers stressors critical linkages ecological attributes

11 Input from the National Academy of Science* Need for true integration of data system-wide Need to assess adequacy of sampling design Need better communication of assessment results Succinct summaries Address long-term and Interim Goals (IGs) Useful information for managers/decision-makers Need to assess trade-offs between modules for different restoration conditions *Progress Toward Restoring the Everglades: The Second Biennial Review, 2008

12 2009 System Status Report SSR development integrated with MAP refinement Refine monitoring based on previous assessments Ensure robust sampling design Similar monitoring methods for indicators Examined other ways to present scientific information Task Force - Indicators Report stoplight approach NOAA Coastal Conditions Report Chesapeake Bay Reports

13 2009 System Status Report Improved Communication of Assessment Results Utilizes a web-based approach User-friendly and accessible Reaches a broad audience Integrated Assessment Approach System-wide approach Assessment across geographic boundaries

14 2009 System Status Report Emphasis on AM Ensures focus on management-relevant science Illustrates how sound science supports decisionmaking for Program implementation & operations Climate Change Pre-CERP reference condition is not static Use predictive models to help simulate possible future conditions (i.e., sea level rise)

15 SYSTEM-WIDE 2009 System Status Report Ecosystem Components Home LAKE OKEECHOBEE Overview NORTHERN ESTUARIES Alligators and Crocodiles Key Findings Birds Management Actions & Adaptive Management Estuarine Fish NORTHERN ESTUARIES Freshwater Aquatic Fauna Lake Okeechobee Module Macroinvertebrates Northern Estuaries Module Oysters Periphyton Greater Everglades Module GREATER EVERGLADE S WETLANDS Southern Coastal Systems Module Ecosystem Components Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Vegetation Mosaics and Landscapes Interim Goals Full System Status Report Predator-Prey Relationships Video SOUTHERN COASTAL SYSTEMS Water Quality, Hydrology and Soil

16 MODULE LEVEL Ecosystem Components Northern Estuaries Module Home Overview Key Findings Management Actions & Adaptive Management Lake Okeechobee Module Northern Estuaries Module Greater Everglades Module Southern Coastal Systems Module Ecosystem Components Interim Goals Full System Status Report The Northern Estuaries Module contains estuaries on both Florida coasts with the Caloosahatchee River Estuary, San Carlos Bay and Estero Bay on the west coast and the St. Lucie Estuary, Southern Indian River Lagoon, Loxahatchee River Estuary and Lake Worth Lagoon on the east coast. Detailed descriptions of these individual water bodies can be found in the 2006 System Status Report. Natural freshwater discharges into these water bodies sustained healthy salinity conditions. The rising population along Florida s coasts has changed the natural freshwater discharges. Discharges are now decreased in the dry season as water is used for water supply and increased in the wet season to prevent flooding. This has led to frequent high and low salinity extremes Bentho s Salinity and Water Clarity Fish Nutrients Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Oysters Benthic Macroinvertebrates Fish Estuaries Caloosahatchee River Estuary St. Lucie Estuary Southern Indian River Lagoon Loxahatchee River Estuary Lake Worth Lagoon CERP & Other Restoration Projects C-43 Reservoir & ASR Indian River Lagoon South North Palm Beach County PBC Agriculture Reserve Reservoir & ASR Ten Mile Creek

17 Oysters INDICATOR-LEVEL Home Overview Key Findings Management Actions & Adaptive Management Lake Okeechobee Module Northern Estuaries Module Greater Everglades Module Southern Coastal Systems Module Ecosystem Components Interim Goals Full System Status Report The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) inhabits Florida estuaries and is very important to the other animals, as well as plants, that also inhabit these water bodies. Oyster bars provide habitat. Also, oysters filter the water. Oysters serve as an excellent indicator species because salinity conditions suitable for oysters also produce optimal conditions for many other desirable estuarine plants and animals. Also, because they do not move around, it is easy to make cause-and-effect relationships between water quality and oyster health. Oysters are used in CERP performance measures and interim goals. Oyster Conceptual Model Northern Estuaries Oysters Southern Coastal System Oysters

18 Path Forward Test web-based approach for 2009 SSR Funding for CERP monitoring & assessment Authorized by WRDA 2000 Needs reauthorization in 2010 Building an infrastructure for reporting about ecosystem status If funding was reduced to minimal levels, could still input data and provide rudimentary assessment Would NOT be comprehensive Continue to document lessons learned

19 Questions? Additional information can be found at