Table Of ContentESTUARINE
INDICATORS
© 2005 by CRC Press
Marine Science Series
The CRC Marine Science Series is dedicated to providing state-of-the-
art coverage of important topics in marine biology, marine chemistry, marine
geology, and physical oceanography. The series includes volumes that focus
on the synthesis of recent advances in marine science.
CRC MARINE SCIENCE SERIES
SERIES EDITOR
Michael J. Kennish, Ph.D.
PUBLISHED TITLES
Artificial Reef Evaluation with Application to Natural Marine Habitats,
William Seaman, Jr.
The Biology of Sea Turtles, Volume I, Peter L. Lutz and John A. Musick
Chemical Oceanography, Second Edition, Frank J. Millero
Coastal Ecosystem Processes, Daniel M. Alongi
Ecology of Estuaries: Anthropogenic Effects, Michael J. Kennish
Ecology of Marine Bivalves: An Ecosystem Approach, Richard F. Dame
Ecology of Marine Invertebrate Larvae, Larry McEdward
Ecology of Seashores, George A. Knox
Environmental Oceanography, Second Edition, Tom Beer
Estuarine Research, Monitoring, and Resource Protection, Michael J. Kennish
Estuary Restoration and Maintenance: The National Estuary Program,
Michael J. Kennish
Eutrophication Processes in Coastal Systems: Origin and Succession
of Plankton Blooms and Effects on Secondary Production in
Gulf Coast Estuaries, Robert J. Livingston
Handbook of Marine Mineral Deposits, David S. Cronan
Handbook for Restoring Tidal Wetlands, Joy B. Zedler
Intertidal Deposits: River Mouths, Tidal Flats, and Coastal Lagoons,
Doeke Eisma
Marine Chemical Ecology, James B. McClintock and Bill J. Baker
Morphodynamics of Inner Continental Shelves, L. Donelson Wright
Ocean Pollution: Effects on Living Resources and Humans, Carl J. Sindermann
Physical Oceanographic Processes of the Great Barrier Reef, Eric Wolanski
The Physiology of Fishes, Second Edition, David H. Evans
Pollution Impacts on Marine Biotic Communities, Michael J. Kennish
Practical Handbook of Estuarine and Marine Pollution, Michael J. Kennish
Practical Handbook of Marine Science, Third Edition, Michael J. Kennish
Seagrasses: Monitoring, Ecology, Physiology, and Management,
Stephen A. Bortone
Trophic Organization in Coastal Systems, Robert J. Livingston
© 2005 by CRC Press
ESTUARINE
INDICATORS
Edited by
Stephen A. Bortone
CRC PR ESS
Boca Raton London New York Washington, D.C.
© 2005 by CRC Press
2822_book.fm Page iv Friday, November 12, 2004 3:21 PM
Cover Art: Maggie May, Marine Laboratory, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, Sanibel, Florida.
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Durbin Tabb was a pioneer in establishing a long-standing database on the
estuarine-dependent, spotted seatrout. Gustavo Antonini was instrumental in
bringing the historical configurations of estuaries to bear on our current
understanding of estuarine processes. Rich Novak explained estuaries to a new
generation of citizens who will have a voice in the fate of estuaries. Last, Dave
Lindquist admirably displayed dedication, good humor, and courage in the practice
of his science.
Although they are no longer with us, this volume is dedicated to them for their
efforts in helping to elevate our understanding of estuaries.
© 2005 by CRC Press
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Preface
Our current level of long-term and comparative information on estuaries in many cases prohibits objective
determination of the status and trends among these ecosystems. The way to resolve this situation is to
develop and evaluate estuarine environmental indicators that will permit objective and meaningful
evaluation of estuaries. However, this effort far exceeds the ability of one or a few well-intentioned
scientists. Only the collective wisdom of the larger scientific community has the potential to make
considerable strides in the direction of developing meaningful estuarine indicators. It is within this
process that the idea for an Estuarine Indicators Workshop was born. The workshop, held on 29–31
October 2003 on Sanibel Island, Florida, served to bring together many of the world’s leading estuarine
scientists for the express purpose of presenting their views on estuarine indicators. Oral presentations
were organized to address several features of estuarine indicators. These included the theory behind
environmental indicators and the presumed attributes of effective estuarine indicators; the methods and
protocols of indicator development and evaluation; a presentation of effective and failed examples of
estuarine indicators; and a discussion that led contributors to speculate on the future direction of this
dynamic field.
The workshop was an initial step toward resolving the issues associated with the development of
successful estuarine indicators. A second step is the refinement of the ideas presented in the workshop
in the form of this edited volume. It is hoped that future efforts will build upon the earnest efforts of
the collective body of wisdom that resulted from these efforts.
© 2005 by CRC Press
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Acknowledgments
This book is based largely on the chapter authors’ contributions presented at the Estuarine Indicators
Workshop. Sponsorship for the workshop was essential in bringing these estuarine experts together.
Accordingly, I thank the South Florida Water Management District, especially Tomma Barnes; the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection, specifically Eric Livingston and Pat Fricano; and the Charlotte
Harbor National Estuary Program with special thanks to Lisa Beever, Catherine Corbett, and Maran
Brainard Hilgendorf. Thanks also to Rob Jess, Susan White, Kevin Godsea, Cindy Anderson, and the
entire staff at the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, site of the workshop on Sanibel Island,
Florida. Additionally, the staff and associates of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation helped in
many aspects of the logistics associated with hosting the workshop. Specifically, I thank Marti Bryant,
Cheryl Giattini, and Erick Lindblad.
Technical reviews of the manuscripts were conducted on all the chapters. I gratefully acknowledge
the following individuals for generously donating their expertise to this endeavor: Tomma Barnes (South
Florida Water Management District), John W. Burns (Everglades Partners Joint Venture, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers). Dan Childers (Florida International University), Sherri Cooper (Bryn Athyn Col-
lege), Jaime Greenawalt (Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation), Holly Greening (Tampa Bay Estu-
ary Program), John Hackney (University of North Carolina at Wilmington), Megan Tinsley (Sannibel-
Captiva Conservation Foundation), Michael Hannan (Sannibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation), Steve
Jordan (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency–Gulf Breeze, Florida), Ken Portier (University of Flor-
ida), Eric Milbrandt (Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation), Chris Onuf (National Wetlands
Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey), Ken Portier (University of Florida), Chet Rakocinski (Uni-
versity of Southern Mississippi), Steve W. Ross (University of North Carolina at Wilmington), Stanley
Rice (University of Tampa), Joel Trexler (Florida International University), and Kendra Willet (J.N.
“Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge). Thanks to John Sulzycki, Pat Roberson, Donna Coggshall,
and Christine Andreasen for their direction and help in the production of this volume.
Last, a special thanks to the contributors. Their willingness to exchange information and ideas
cooperatively captured the essence of scientific exchange. It is through this process and their efforts that
this book is possible.
© 2005 by CRC Press
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The Editor
Stephen A. Bortone, Ph.D., is Director of the Marine Laboratory at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation
Foundation in Sanibel, Florida. He holds an administrative appointment to the Graduate Faculty at the
University of South Alabama, a courtesy faculty appointment at the Florida Gulf Coast University, and
Research Professor status at the Florida Atlantic University and its Florida Center for Environmental
Studies. Previously, he was Professor of Biology at the University of West Florida, where he served as
Director for the Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Research. He also served as Director of Environmental
Science at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Dr. Bortone received his B.S. from Albright College
in Reading, Pennsylvania; his M.S. from Florida State University, Tallahassee; and his Ph.D. from the
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
For the past 37 years, Dr. Bortone has conducted research on the life history of estuarine organisms,
especially fishes and seagrasses, chiefly in the southeastern United States and in the Gulf of Mexico.
He has published more than 140 scientific articles on the broadest aspects of biology, including such
diverse fields as anatomy, behavior, biogeography, ecology, endocrinology, evolution, histology, ocean-
ography, physiology, reproductive biology, sociobiology, systematics, and taxonomy.
In conducting his research and teaching activities, Dr. Bortone has traveled widely. He has served
as Visiting Scientist at The Johannes Gutenberg University (Mainz, Germany) and conducted extensive
field surveys with colleagues from La Laguna University in the Canary Islands. He was a Mary Ball
Washington Scholar at University College Dublin, Ireland. He has received numerous teaching and
research awards, including the title “Fellow” from the American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists.
Dr. Bortone has served as scientific editor and reviewer for numerous organizations, such as the
National Science Foundation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Marine Fisheries
Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and several journals, including the Bulletin of Marine
Science, Copeia, Estuaries, Marine Biology, and Transactions of the American Fisheries Society.
© 2005 by CRC Press
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Contributors
S. Marshall Adams Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Tomma Barnes South Florida Water Management District, Fort Myers, Florida
Brian Bendis AMJ Equipment Corporation, Lakeland, Florida
Marcia R. Berman Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William and Mary,
Gloucester Point, Virginia
Patrick D. Biber Institute of Marine Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Morehead City, North Carolina
Donna Marie Bilkovic Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William and
Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia
Stephen A. Bortone Marine Laboratory, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, Sanibel,
Florida
David R. Breininger Dynamac Corporation, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Marius Brouwer Department of Coastal Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Ocean
Springs, Mississippi
Nancy J. Brown-Peterson Department of Coastal Sciences, University of Southern
Mississippi, Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Billy D. Causey Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Marathon, Florida
Catherine A. Corbett Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program, Fort Myers, Florida
Nancy Denslow Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Center for
Biotechnology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
Thomas L. Dix Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County, Tampa,
Florida
Peter H. Doering South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, Florida
William A. Dunson Pennsylvania State University (Emeritus Professor), Englewood, Florida
Michael J. Durako Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina at Wilmington,
Wilmington, North Carolina
© 2005 by CRC Press
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Julianne Dyble Institute of Marine Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Morehead City, North Carolina
John Edinger J. E. Edinger Associates, Inc., Wayne, Pennsylvania
Anne-Marie Eklund Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA–Fisheries, Miami, Florida
Dana Fike Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Port St. Lucie, Florida
Peter C. Frederick Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida,
Gainesville, Florida
Russel Frydenborg Bureau of Laboratories, Florida Department of Environmental
Protection, Tallahassee, Florida
Evelyn E. Gaiser Department of Biology and Southeast Environmental Research Center,
Florida International University, Miami, Florida
Charles L. Gallegos Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, Maryland
Barbara K. Goetting Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County,
Tampa, Florida
Stephen A. Grabe Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County, Tampa,
Florida
Gregory A. Graves Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Port St. Lucie, Florida
Jaime M. Greenawalt Marine Laboratory, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation,
Sanibel, Florida
John W. Hackney NOAA/National Ocean Service, Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat
Research, Beaufort, NC
M. Jawed Hameedi Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment, National Centers for
Coastal Ocean Science–NOAA, Silver Spring, Maryland
Kirk J. Havens Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William and Mary,
Gloucester Point, Virginia
Ryan F. Hechinger Marine Science Institute and Department of Ecology, Evolution and
Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California
Carl H. Hershner Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William and Mary,
Gloucester Point, Virginia
Christina M. Holden Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County,
Tampa, Florida
Xiaohong Huang J. E. Edinger Associates, Inc., Wayne, Pennsylvania
Jon Hubertz Florida Regional Office, J. E. Edinger Associates, Inc., Punta Gorda, Florida
© 2005 by CRC Press
