Charlotte Harbor Initiative: Assessing the Ecological Health of Southwest Florida's Charlotte Harbor Estuary

Abstract

Charlotte Harbor is the largest and one of the least impacted estuaries on the southwest Florida coast, encompassing about 270 square miles (700 km²) with a watershed of 4400 square miles (11,400 km²). The Harbor is distinguished by extensive phosphate mining in its watershed and declining freshwater inflows, more protected submerged and intertidal areas than most Gulf ecosystems, and is part of the National Estuary Program. A hypoxic event occurs annually in the Harbor for possibly natural rather than anthropogenic reasons providing an opportunity for the study of hypoxic effects on the ecology of a large subtropical ecosystem. A 5-year, multimillion dollar study was begun in 2001 to enable scientists of Mote Marine Laboratory (MML, Sarasota, Florida) to collaborate on ecological characterization of the estuary and provide data necessary for resource managers to predict consequences of future population growth in the region. Initial studies were organized around themes of preservation, conservation and restoration while subsequent years of work are organized around a core program of physical, chemical and biological studies that track the ecological consequences of freshwater inflow, hypoxia and anthropogenic-derived contaminants. Along with MML, scientists in federal and state agencies along with a number of colleges and universities are cooperating in the project.