Water Quality
Water Quality
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AN INTRODUCTION
AN INTRODUCTION
The Water Quality Team is the newest FCRRP working group. Formed in early 2024, the group has been focused on developing internal goals and processes, recruiting membership, and building a common information base for all members to operate from.
The Team's mission: promote scientific based discussion, management efforts, and information sharing across Florida’s Coral Reef to aid water quality monitoring, research, and improvements. You can read more about the team's objectives here.
The Team is led by:
Allison Holevoet (Florida Sea Grant)
Elizabeth Kelly (Martin County)
Lara Bracci (DEP)
Past Leads:
Kylie Morgan (DEP)
The Team is also responsible for generating action towards annually identified regional water quality priorities through technical discussion and process development. The Team works closely with Florida's Coral Reef Coordination Team (FCRCT), the principal advisory body on coral reef issues to the Everglades Restoration framework, to better understand the linkages between Everglades water quality improvement projects and downstream coral reef health.
In addition, the Team develops and shares recommendations to regional water quality initiatives based on analyses of their plans and frameworks. For example, the Team helped to put on a Water Quality Workshop that focused on monitoring parameters and methodology for implementing the monitoring from the Everglades to Florida’s Coral Reef based on the FCRCT’s Unified Water Quality Framework Actions.
Research into the impacts of water quality on corals and coral reefs is crucial to understanding how best we can preserve the system and build its resilience.Photo: NOAA AOML
Settled coral recruits, such as the ones above, are often used to study the effects of sediments on coral health. Photo: NOAA
CURRENT and FUTURE DIRECTIONS
CURRENT and FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Track essential point or nonpoint sources of pollution with their run-off impacts (inclusive of marine debris), any management response to these sources, and monitor post-improvement for individual projects (impact reports, etc.).
Report on grant and research project progress for Hydrographic Modeling, Water Quality Data Aggregation, and monitoring of trends via sondes and grab samples.
Receive updates as published work is released regarding related Water Quality projects and conference report-outs.
Continue supporting the progress and implementation of management plans across different jurisdictions (such as Government Cut Management Plan (complete) and Biscayne Bay Management Plan (in progress). Emphasize the cohesive elements that impact overlapping areas, highlighting both what is working well and what may require improvement.
Continue to build collaborations with other FCRRP Teams;
Communications Team – support and create unified messaging surrounding Florida’s Coral Reef recovery through water quality.
Research Team – develop sentinel sites and response plans.
Intervention – connections to poor water quality and disease/disturbance presence.
Understand and be informed on Everglades and reef restoration projects to determine where improvements are being made and where informational gaps still exist.
LSAT_Infographic_Communication_July_23_2025.pdfLong sediment-laden algal turf (LSAT) infographic.
ECA Hydro modeling _Brian Walker.pdfHydrographic modeling of SE Florida.
HorsleyWittenGroup2024_Government-Cut-Inlet-WMP-2024.pdfGovernment Cut Watershed Management Plan.
Currently, the Team boasts membership from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, Nova Southeastern University, Broward County, Martin County, Miami Dade County, and Palm Beach County.
If you'd like to chat more or join the Team, please contact Allison Holevoet (al.holevoet@ufl.edu).
Header photo: Liv Williamson/UM
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