Technical Notes and Comments: Comment on J. C. Zieman, J. W. Fourqurean, and T. A. Frankovich. 1999. Seagrass Dieoff in Florida Bay: Long-term Trends in Abundance and Growth of Turtle Grass, Thalassia testudinum. Estuaries 22:460- 470.
Lapointe B and Barile P. 2004. Technical Notes and Comments: Comment on J. C. Zieman, J. W. Fourqurean, and T. A. Frankovich. 1999. Seagrass Dieoff in Florida Bay: Long-term Trends in Abundance and Growth of Turtle Grass, Thalassia testudinum. Estuaries 22:460- 470.. Estuaries. 27(1):157-178
In an issue of Estuaries dedicated to Florida Bay [1999 Vol. 22(2b)] Zieman et al. (1999) presented the results of long-term monitoring of seagrass abundance and productivity as well as a hypothetical model of factors leading to the seagrass die-off in Florida Bay. The causes of underlying water quality deterioration and seagrass die-off in Florida Bay have been reviewed by the Florida Bay Scientific Review Panel (Boesch et al. 1993) and more recently, the Committee on the Restoration of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem (CROGEE; National Research Council [NRC] 2002). We concur with these reviews and find no compelling evidence within the scientific literature or from our own research to support the hypothesis of Zieman et al. (1999) that hypersalinity was a significant factor leading to seagrass die-off in Florida Bay. Our comments below support the view that Zieman et al. (1999) have overstated the role of hypersalinity while categorically dismissing the role of nutrient enrichment and eutrophication in generating regional water quality degradation and seagrass dieoff in Florida Bay. This issue of "getting the science right" is critical to the success of the multi-billion dollar Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) to restore natural resources in Everglades National Park and downstream waters of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS).
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Lapointe, Brian; Barile, Peter
- Units
- SFCN
- Keywords
- die off, Eutrophication, Fauna, Plant, Salinity, Seagrass, Vegetation