EMBRACING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE TO BENEFIT OUR “ AQUATIC GEMS ,” OUR PEOPLE AND OUR ECONOMY
by Dr . Jason Evans
Volusia County is blessed with an abundance and diversity of amazing water resources . Emerald blue springs , worldclass beaches , productive coastal bays and lagoons , dozens of freshwater lakes and the unique St . Johns “ River of Lakes ” are all integral to the beauty and quality of life in our subtropical paradise . As an environmental scientist who was born , raised and educated in Florida , I feel incredibly fortunate to be working with so many members of our community who are dedicated to the protection of what Dr . Robert Sitler , my colleague at Stetson University , calls “ Aquatic Gems .”
The Aquatic Gems are not only of great ecological importance but also are key drivers within the local economy . The aquamarine waters of our Atlantic beaches are undoubtedly the most famous attraction for the millions of visitors who come to Volusia County each year . Over in West Volusia , several hundred thousand people line up annually to see the amazing spectacle of over 700 wintering manatees gathered in the warm waters of Volusia Blue Spring . The more ambitious Volusia County explorer has the opportunity to see the incredible bioluminescence of the summer mullet runs in the Indian River Lagoon or the acrobatic congregations of swallow-tailed kites at Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge .
There is , of course , not enough space in a short essay to make
note of all the unique places where our local waters support abundant wildlife , enriching the lives of both residents and tourists alike . But I do think that one thing that unites most of us , regardless of our differences on the other issues of our times , is a deeply felt commitment to steward the health of these waters for ourselves , our children , our grandchildren and , indeed , those who are not yet born .
However , I often warn my students at Stetson that one of the occupational hazards that comes with being an environmental scientist is an obligation to maintain objective awareness of how our environment is being impacted by human activities . Despite all of the best intentions , a clear-headed assessment of our local waters provides unfortunate evidence that we simply have not done – and are not doing – enough .
Perhaps most dramatically , a series of harmful algal blooms in the Indian River Lagoon , caused by increasingly poor water quality , have destroyed large areas of critical seagrass habitat and negatively impacted our coastal fisheries . In maybe the saddest thing I ’ ve ever seen in my professional career , the loss of seagrass has finally reached a tipping point and , since early 2021 , brought on a lethal starvation crisis among our coastal manatee population .
We can , and must , do better than this . This call to action , though , seems to beg two important questions : 1 ) What exactly are we doing wrong ? and 2 ) How can we do better ?
The first question is easiest to answer , at least from the vantage point of objective science . It is very well understood that historical and ongoing carelessness with nutrient contaminants , primarily nitrogen and phosphorus , has overfertilized many of our
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