Annual administrative report (FY 2010) and work plan (FY 2011) for inventories and Vital Signs monitoring: South Florida / Caribbean Network

National Park Service South Florida/Caribbean Network

This Annual Administrative Report and Work Plan summarizes the activites of the National Park Service South Florida / Caribbean Network (SFCN) for FY10 and projected workplan for FY11. The South Florida/Caribbean Network (SFCN) includes seven national parks with significant natural resources in the southern tip of the state of Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Croix and St. John: Big Cypress National Preserve (BICY, Biscayne National Park (BISC), Buck Island Reef National Monument (BUIS), Dry Tortugas National Park, Everglades National Park, Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve (SARI), and Virgin Islands National Park (VIIS). In FY 2010 the SFCN received $2,018,156 in funding from the Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) program, the NPS Vegetation Mapping program, and the NPS Water Resources Division. In addition, SFCN received $160,000 from the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) to assist with vegetation mapping of Everglades National Park. This funding enabled the SFCN to conduct monitoring on marine and community resources as the network continues operational monitoring for core vital signs. In FY10, biological inventories were conducted, including multiple vegetation and benthic habitat mapping efforts. SFCN continued to implement its Vital Signs Monitoring Plan, focused on protocol development and monitoring. SFCN completed a new 10 year office space lease, and expansion to provide 3 new offices and 10 cubicles for post doctoral researchers and interns. SFCN assisted with Biscayne National Park’s BioBlitz event, a 24 hour inventory of the biodiversity of the park co-hosted by National Geographic. The MS Canyon 252 Deepwater Horizon oil spill was unexpected, and required a significant effort from SFCN staff for field data collection, as well as data management. SFCN conducted marine benthic community Vital Sign monitoring in BISC, DRTO, VIIS, and BUIS. Marine Fish Community monitoring was conducted in BISC, DRTO, VIIS, VICRNM, and BUIS. SFCN hired a marine ecologist, a George Melendez Wright Climate Change intern, two REMI, as well as three SCA’s in FY10. The vegetation Vital Signs postdoctoral researcher was hired to continue protocol development for several vegetation related vital signs. SFCN completed a vegetation map for Buck Island Reef National Monument (BUIS), continued work on a vegetation maps for western BICY, EVER, BISC, SARI, DRTO and VIIS. Benthic habitat maps were drafted for DRTO and offshore BISC.

Annual administrative report (FY 2010) and work plan (FY 2011) for inventories and Vital Signs monitoring: South Florida / Caribbean Network

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