Meet our Marine Biologists

All are Florida college graduates 

Our Coastal Ecosystems

The effects on marine  wildlife 

Rainfall that falls over the ground without being absorbed by the substrate or evaporating is known as storm water discharge. Rainfall will frequently come into contact with pervious or impermeable surfaces, including rooftops, parking lots, walkways, gravel roads, and other urban areas. Rainwater runoff from these man-made surfaces will be redirected into ditches, storm sewers, retention ponds, or even the nearest body of water. During this process, any pollutants that stormwater runoff picks up from the impermeable surfaces mobilize, carrying heavy metals, fertilizer, oil, pet waste, soaps, and other potentially harmful substances from the surroundings into receiving waters. 

 The contaminants that storm water runoff carries can impair aquatic life and water quality in a number of ways. Fertilizers and animal manure frequently contain nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, which can cause eutrophication—an excess of nutrients that can cause excessive algae growth and oxygen depletion in aquatic bodies. For example, high nitrogen from storm water runoff has been linked to the hazardous algal blooms that frequently contaminate Florida's coastal waters.

 Through contamination of sediments and entry into the food chain, heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and mercury can harm aquatic ecosystems over an extended period of time. If stormwater-borne germs reach a receiving body of water that is utilized for recreational swimming, individuals might get subjected to the bacteria, which can be dangerous. Extremely tiny plastic particles known as microplastics can damage aquatic life and build up in the food chain, which can have long-term effects on human health. Furthermore, stormwater runoff-borne silt and debris can lower the clarity of the water, which can negatively impact aquatic life by reducing the quantity of light available to them. In order to prevent pollutants from reaching water bodies and to safeguard the wellbeing of our environments and communities, it is imperative that we put into practice efficient storm water management measures.

One of the greatest ways to manage storm water pollutants is through water management, as it mobilizes urbanized pollutants and transports them to neighboring water bodies. This implies that the effects of storm water runoff can be decreased by simply lowering the amount of storm water runoff created from the start. Homeowners can lessen the amount of storm water that enters their neighborhoods by creating ways for precipitation to seep into the ground. This can be achieved by maintaining vegetated soils and creating rain gardens on your land. By keeping the soil from becoming compacted, this will encourage proper water infiltration. Find out how to design and establish a rain garden here: https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/design/types-of-gardens/rain-gardens.html.

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