QUANTIFYING MACROALGAE, SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION, AND FLOW IN FOUR FLORIDA SPRING-FED RIVERSLAURA BEDINGER1, DANIELLE ROGERS2, BARRY VANCE1 AND JORDAN MILLER2
1WATER & AIR RESEARCH, GAINESVILLE, FL, USA
2SWFWMD, BROOKSVILLE, FL USA
SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION (SAV)
• vascular plants and a moss• macrophytic algae (both filamentous and complex)
• Limiting Factors:• light • salinity• water velocity
• substrate type• nutrients (N and P)• biotic interactions
• Water & Air Research, Inc. sampled SAV and abiotic factors for SWFWMD
• Spring-fed rivers- all 1st
magnitude
• Homosassa, Chassahowitzka, and Weeki Wachee all flow into the Gulf of Mexico
• Rainbow flows into the Withlacoochee
Chassahowitzka – 25 transects
Homosassa – 26 transects
Rainbow River – 28 transects
Weeki Wachee – 21 transects
• established transects w/ sub-meter GPS
• 5 stations per transect• 0.5 x 0.5 m quadrats*
• cover• biomass• substrate type• tree canopy cover
• photo & video• GPS-paired full motion
• water velocity (Hach FH950)• water quality• Survey 123 for ArcGIS
Methods
Biomass by Taxon, All RiversNon-metric MDS on Station Data
Transform: Square rootResemblance: S17 Bray-Curtis similarity (+d)
RiverChassahowitzkaHomosassaRainbowWeeki Wachee
2D Stress: 0.17
ANOSIM RESULTS (PRIMER 7)
Comparison R Statistic p-valueChassahowitzka, Homosassa 0.173 0.0001Chassahowitzka, Rainbow 0.335 0.0001Chassahowitzka, Weeki Wachee 0.074 0.0001Homosassa, Rainbow 0.586 0.0001Homosassa, Weeki Wachee 0.203 0.0001Rainbow, Weeki Wachee 0.339 0.0001
00.
25 0.5
0.75 1
1.5 2
2.5 3
3.5 4
4.5 5
5.2 5 5.
5 66.
5 77.
25 7.5 8
8.5 9
9.5 10
Transect
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
Wat
er V
eloc
ity (m
/s)
WATER VELOCITY RESULTS
0.5
0.75 1
1.25 1.
5 22.
5 33.
153.
253 .
35 3.5 4
4.5 5
5 .5 6
6.5 7
7.5 8
8.5 9
9.5 10
10.5
Transect
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
Wat
er V
eloc
ity (m
/s)
HomosassaChassahowitzka
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Transect
-0.1
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
Wat
er V
eloc
ity (m
/s)
WATER VELOCITY RESULTS
Rainbow River
0.5 1
1.5 2
2.5 3
3.5 4
4.5 5
5 .2 5 5.
5 6
6.5 7
7.5 8
8.5 9
9.5 10
Transect
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
Wat
er V
eloc
ity (m
/s)
Weeki Wachee
SAV FINDINGS (SUMMER 2019)• vascular plants: 13 taxa• moss: Fontinalis spp.• complex macrophytic green algae: Chara spp. (stonewort)• filamentous green algae• filamentous cyanobacteria• red seaweeds: Gracilaria, Compsopogon, Caloglossa
C. Harding, Water & AirC. Harding, Water & AirMarine Algae of Hawaii
VASCULAR SAV TAXA (SUMMER 2019)
Cabomba caroliniana Najas guadalupensis
Ceratophyllum demersum Potamogeton pusillusHydrilla verticillata Sagittaria kurzianaLudwigia repens Stuckenia pectinataMyriophyllum heterophyllum Utricularia sp.Myriophyllum spicatum Vallisneria americana
Chassahowitzka
total dry weight
upstream to downstream
August 2019
00.
25 0.5
0.75 1
1.5 2
2.5 3
3.5 4
4.5 5
5.25 5.
5 66.
5 77.
25 7.5 8
8.5 9
9.5 10
Transect
-100
0
100
200
300
400
Tota
l DW
(g/m
2)
Chassahowitzka
vascular plants & moss
upstream to downstream
August 2019
00.
25 0.5
0.75 1
1.5 2
2.5 3
3.5 4
4.5 5
5.25 5.
5 66.
5 77.
25 7.5 8
8.5 9
9.5 10
Transect
-100
0
100
200
300
400
Tota
l Pla
nt D
W (g
/m2)
Chassahowitzka
filamentous algae
upstream to downstream
August 2019
00.
25 0.5
0.75 1
1.5 2
2.5 3
3.5 4
4.5 5
5.25 5.
5 66.
5 77.
25 7.5 8
8.5 9
9.5 10
Transect
-50
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
filam
ento
us a
lgae
DW
(g/m
2)
Chassahowitzka
SWFWMD
upstream to downstream in study area
monthly data
2018 - 2020
Chassahowitzka
• most diverse• some marine influence• moderate level of vegetation• most vegetation in upper third of study
area
Homosassa
total dry weight
upstream to downstream
August 2019
Homosassa
vascular plants & moss
upstream to downstream
August 2019
0.5
0.75 1
1.25 1.
5 22.
5 33.
153.
253.
35 3.5 4
4.5 5
5.5 6
6.5 7
7.5 8
8.5 9
9.5 10
10.5
Transect
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Tota
l Pla
nt D
W (g
/m2)
Homosassa
filamentous algae
upstream to downstream
August 2019
0.5
0.75 1
1.25 1.
5 22.
5 33.
153.
253.
35 3.5 4
4.5 5
5.5 6
6.5 7
7.5 8
8.5 9
9.5 10
10.5
Transect
-20
0
20
40
60
80
100
filam
ento
us a
lgae
DW
(g/m
2)
Homosassa
SWFWMD
upstream to downstream in study area
monthly data
2018 - 2020
0.5
0.75 1
1.25 1.
5 22.
5 33.
153.
253.
35 3.5 4
4.5 5
5.5 6
6.5 7
7.5 8
8.5 9
9.5 10
10.5
Transect
-0.2
-0.1
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0H
ydril
la v
ertic
illat
a D
W (g
/m2)
• least vegetated• 3rd in taxa richness• upstream third has the most biomass• marine influence
Homosassa
00.
25 0.5
0.75 1
1.5 2
2.5 3
3.5 4
4.5 5
5.25 5.
5 66.
5 77.
25 7.5 8
8.5 9
9.5 10
Transect
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
Gra
cila
ria s
p. D
W (g
/m2)
Homosassa
Gracilaria sp.
occurred mid-way of study area
same pattern in the Chassahowitzka
2.5 pptHoyer et al. 2004
Rainbow River
total dry weight
upstream to downstream
August & September 2019
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 4 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Transect
-500
0
500
1000
1500
2000
Tota
l DW
(g/m
2)
Rainbow River
vascular plant and moss
upstream to downstream
August & September 2019
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Transect
-500
0
500
1000
1500
2000
Tota
l Pla
nt D
W (g
/m2)
Rainbow River
filamentous algae
upstream to downstream
August & September 2019
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Transect
-100
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
1100
1200
1300
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
filam
ento
us a
lgae
DW
(g/m
2)
Rainbow River
SWFWMD
upstream to downstream in study area
monthly data
2018 - 2020
Rainbow River
• Sagittaria kurziana drives differences
• shows opposite pattern to other rivers with more filamentous algae downstream than upstream
• more consistently vegetated
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Transect
-500
0
500
1000
1500
Sagitta
ria kur
ziana
DW (g/
m2)
Weeki Wachee River
total dry weight
upstream to downstream
September 2019
0.5 1
1.5 2
2.5 3
3.5 4
4.5 5
5.25 5.
5 6
6.5 7
7.5 8
8.5 9
9.5 10
Transect
-200
0
200
400
600
800
1000
Tota
l DW
(g/m
2)
Weeki Wachee River
vascular plants and moss
upstream to downstream
September 2019
0.5 1
1.5 2
2.5 3
3.5 4
4.5 5
5.25 5.
5 6
6.5 7
7.5 8
8.5 9
9.5 10
Transect
-200
0
200
400
600
800
1000
Tota
l Pla
nt D
W (g
/m2)
Weeki Wachee River
filamentous algae
upstream to downstream
September 2019
0.5 1
1.5 2
2.5 3
3.5 4
4.5 5
5.25 5.
5 6
6.5 7
7.5 8
8.5 9
9.5 10
Transect
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
filam
ento
us a
lgae
DW
(g/m
2)
Weeki Wachee River
SWFWMD
upstream to downstream in study area
monthly data
2018 - 2020
0.5 1
1.5 2
2.5 3
3.5 4
4.5 5
5.25 5.
5 6
6.5 7
7.5 8
8.5 9
9.5 10
Transect
-200
0
200
400
600
800
1000Va
llisn
eria
am
eric
ana
DW
(g/m
2)
Weeki Wachee
• Vallisneria americanadominant in upper portion
• lowest taxa richness
• most vegetation in upper third
• no red algae
Weeki Wachee
AUDIENCE, THANK YOU!THANKS TO COLLEAGUES IN THE BIOLOGY GROUP AT WATER & AIR
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