3rd QTR 2013

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Officers and Board Members - 2013

President’s Message

The Francis E. “Chil” Rossbach Scholarship Fund

Funds from the scholarship are used to help defray costs for students taking classes related to the study of aquatic environmental sciences or related areas. The scholarship is open to anyone, and all are encouraged to apply. Applications will be accepted throughout the year and the scholarship awarded when a suitable candidate is found. Money raised by the Society during the year partially goes to fund this scholarship, the intent of which is to promote the study of aquatics. For an application, please go to www.sfapms.org.

T: 954.972.8126 T: 954.382.9766 T: 954.370.0041 T: 407.472.0520 T: 863.557.0076 T: 954.831.0754 T: 954.577.6331 T: 954.831.0756 T: 954.654.1150 T: 561.633.7226 T: 561.965.4159 T: 954.572.2388 T: 561.301.8326 T: 954.382.9766

Officers 2013 Mark Weinrub: President…………….. Joel Wolf: Past President ……………. Linda Wolonick: Secretary …………... Board Members 2013 John Baylor …………………………… James Boggs …………………………. Adam Gardner ………………………... Dr. Lyn Gettys ……………………….... John Keating ………………………….. John Lepage ………………………….. John Lynch ……………………………. John Raymundo ………………………. Jason Rivera …………………………... Craig Smith ……………………………. Steve Weinsier …………………………

I want to begin by thanking the

membership and sponsorship of

the SFAPMS, whose support and

dedication over the years has

made our organization blossom.

As we wade into another South

Florida summer, the busiest time of the year for

many in our field, the role and utility of the South

Florida Aquatic Plant Management Society

becomes ever more apparent. When we come

together as an industry, we all benefit from the

shared knowledge and experience of the diverse

group of professionals, volunteers, and community

members that make up our Society. We wish all of

you a safe and successful summer season and look

forward to seeing everyone at our next General

Meeting!

Sincerely,

Mark Weinrub, President

South Florida Aquatic Plant Management Society

Cover Photo Credit: Holly Sutter, Allstate Resource Management

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Plant of the Month Utricularia purpurea Walt.

Purple bladderwort Description: Utricularia purpurea, like all bladderworts, is a rootless, submersed free-floating plant. The stems of purple bladderwort attain lengths of up to 1 m; leaves are in whorls of 5-7 throughout the entire plant, with nodes spaced 5 cm apart. U. purpurea has bladders at the tips of the leaves that serve to trap small aquatic life (such as fish larvae). The flowering is a scape 10-50 cm long and contains 1-4 flowers that are purple to violet in color and roughly 1 cm broad. U. purpurea reproduction is by seed and fragmentation.

Habitat: U. purpurea is commonly found growing in lakes, ponds, and swamps throughout almost all of Florida. Purple bladderwort prefers acidic lakes and ponds and usually grows in association with other bladderwort species.

Distribution and Importance: Endemic to North and Central America and native to Florida, U. purpurea can be found as far west as Texas and as far north as southern Canada. The purple bladderwort only causes recreational and navigational problems when mixed with other problematic aquatic plants. It is very rare for purple bladderwort to be the only bladderwort species found growing in any particular body of water.

Wildlife Utilization Value: U. purpurea provides protection and cover for small aquatic life. As a waterfowl food source, the purple bladderwort is of little value. Credit: Tarver et al., Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Florida


Filter Feeding and Eutrophication Control

Throughout many coastal areas in Florida and elsewhere, the value and potential benefits that stem from installing bivalve molluscan aquaculture projects is highly underrated. Research has shown that there are many positive environmental effects associated with shellfish aquaculture, which has the potential to mitigate and control the negative impacts of other aquatic activities. Specifically, it has been shown that bivalve mollusks, such as mussels and clams, can serve as a form of biological control against the natural aging process of coastal waters. In such eutrophic waters, shellfish aquaculture can act as an estuarine filter that increases the clarity of the water and has the ability to help remove harmful or unwanted nutrients in certain waterways. According to Dr. Rice, most bivalve mollusk species clear particles from waters at rates of 1-4 liters per hour; research has shown that large enough concentrations of shellfish aquaculture have the ability to filter a large portion of coastal estuary waters on a daily basis. These shellfish filter particles such as phytoplankton and suspended silt and clay, actively sort them according to their nutritional value, ingest the food particles and release the rejected ones. Additionally, bivalve mollusks that are actively growing incorporate nitrogen, among other nutrients, from the water into their tissues as they grow. Rice also notes that shellfish beds could help remove nitrogen from estuaries, on top of other nutrient removal through molluscan aquaculture and shellfisheries. On average, 16.8 grams of nitrogen is removed from estuaries for every kilogram of shellfish meats harvested. Through their natural feeding process, filter feeders like mussels and clams can play an important role in a balanced waterway ecosystem. It is evident that bivalve mollusks have the potential to act as a greatly beneficial biological control against eutrophication. Rice suggests that the establishment of even small-scale molluscan shellfish aquaculture operations could potentially mitigate the effects of coastal housing development activities that result in excessive coastal eutrophication. Shellfish restoration projects could have similar effectiveness in controlling eutrophication.

Photo Credit: J. H. Carothers, Cabrillo College

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Florida's Invasive Species Melaleuca quinquenervia

Melaleuca tree

The highly invasive and aggressive melaleuca is an evergreen tree native to eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea that is commonly found invading tropical and sub-tropical areas. South Florida has been prime real estate for the non-native for over a century. The melaleuca tree can reach 100 feet in height, is recognizable by its paper-like layered (and often peeling) bark, has white “bottle brush” flowers and lance-shaped gray-green leaves. The tree often invades seasonally wet habitats, including marshes, swamps and wet prairies; melaleuca also thrives in standing water. Infestations of M. quinquenervia can be monumental, reducing the diversity of native species as well as degrading the f u n c t i o n a n d

structure of ecosystems. The melaleuca tree grows at the rapid rate of 3-6 feet per year, which produces dense stands and displaces native animals and plants. In our backyard, melaleuca has converted large areas of the Florida Everglades sawgrass marshes into forests. Moreover, through soil accretion, the invasive tree has altered the historical flow of water. Management of the melaleuca tree is of vital importance, especially in South Florida. Although melaleuca acreage on public lands has dramatically decreased over the past two decades due to an aggressive management campaign waged by the South Florida Water Management District, the trees continue to spread rapidly on private lands. Thus, overall occurrence of melaleuca trees in South Florida has decreased only minimally. While young melaleuca trees may be killed by fire, older ones must be managed through chemical, biological, or mechanical controls. Currently, herbicide is the most common control method for M. quinquenervia in South Florida. Mechanical means of control is popular and effective, but the cost alone may be prohibitive and it could pose an environmental risk in sensitive areas. Finally, biological controls have proven to be an effective complement to these and other management methods. Credit: TAME Melaleuca, USDA Agricultural Research Service


Florida Wildlife Corner Limpkin (Aramus guarauna)

The Hydrophyte featured creature is the limpkin, a bird found in wetlands in warm parts of the Americas stretching from here in Florida to as far south as northern Argentina. Limpkins are typically 25-29 inches long and have a wingspan of 40-42 inches. The limpkin is the only member of its taxonomic family Aramidae, and although it resembles ibises and herons in general form, the bird is more closely related to rails and cranes. The limpkin seems to limp as it walks, giving the bird its name. Limpkins feed on mollusks (almost exclusively apple snails), foraging in shallow water or on floating aquatic plants, such as water lettuce or water hyacinth. The limpkin effortlessly extracts the snails from their shells using its long, slightly curved bill. One of the most unique features of the limpkin is its unmistakable loud, screaming wail, from which its nickname “crying bird” is derived. Limpkin chicks are precocial, leaving the nest on the day they are born to forage for food themselves.

Credit: Field Guide to the Rare Animals of Florida, Florida Natural Areas Inventory Photo Credits: Steve Montgomery, Allstate Resource Management

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A Comparison of Equipment for Salinity Methods

The salinity of your waterway system is important for a variety of reasons. Salinity determines what kind of plants you

can grow and maintain in littoral areas. Salinity also affects the varieties of algae that will grow in your waterway and the

variety of wildlife that are attracted to your ecosystem.

Salinity can be measured by concentrations of dissolved solids, as well as by conductivity. Conductivity increases

directly with salinity. Because of this, salinity can now be measured in practical salinity units (psu) instead of parts per

thousand (ppt). However, the two scales are equivalent: 1 psu = 1 ppt

Currently, there are many methods available for testing the salinity of a waterway. Some of the most popular include:

Refractometer Price Range: ~ $50 Accuracy: Moderate accuracy; measures in ppt Test Range: 0-100 ppt Notes: Needs to be calibrated regularly with distilled water Unlimited testing capability

Hydrometer Price Range: ~ $25, least expensive option Accuracy: Least accurate; measures in ppt Test Range: 0-40 ppt Notes: No need to calibrate, but breaks easily Needs a steady, non-moving surface to accurately read Requires a larger sample

Conductivity Meter Price Range: $100 - $3,000, most expensive option Accuracy: Most accurate; measures in psu Test Range: Very limited, but increases with price Notes: Needs to be calibrated regularly Unlimited testing capability Easiest to use

Chemical Test Kit Price Range: ~ $65 for 50 tests Accuracy: Low-moderate accuracy; measures in ppt Test Range: 0-20 ppt Notes: Limited testing capability

Credit: Samantha Sardes; Allstate Resource Management

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May 6-9 UF/IFAS Aquatic Weed Control Short Course Coral Springs, FL www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/aw June 17-20 Florida Lake Management Society 24th Annual Conference Southeast NALMS Regional Conference Daytona Beach Shores, FL www.flms.net June 27 SFAPMS Board of Directors Meeting www.sfapms.org

July 25 SFAPMS General Meeting www.sfapms.org

September 27 SFAPMS Board of Directors Meeting www.sfapms.org

October 31 SFAPMS General Meeting www.sfapms.org

2013 Calendar of Events

Hydrophyte Photo Contest Do you have a photo that you’d like to see on the cover of an upcoming issue of The Hydrophyte? To enter our 1st Annual Cover Photo Contest, send your best cover-worthy and SFAPMS-themed photo to: [email protected] The winner of this year’s contest will be contacted via email when his/her entry is chosen to be the featured cover photo on an upcoming Hydrophyte issue. Runners-up will have a section inside the issue featuring their photos and credits.

Good Luck!

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Applicator Information The Applicator’s Survival Kit

Let’s face it. Being an applicator is a multi-task job. It requires us to be part biologist, part salesperson, part public relations person, part chemist, and part handyman/mechanic. With so many responsibilities, things don’t always run as smoothly as we’d like. There are a lot of delays we have no control over, like weather, traffic, or dealing with homeowners. All too often the most time- consuming and costly delays are things that could be easily rectified with a little preparation. Equipment failure is an eventuality that we all deal with sooner or later. There’s nothing more aggravating than having an operation brought to a screeching halt, halfway through the day and realizing you don’t have the means to correct it. Even though it’s impossible to prepare for every possible eventuality, a well-stocked “survival kit” can head off many of the headaches that would ruin a productive day. Think about equipment problems you and other colleagues have encountered in the past and try to build up an inventory of tools, spare parts, and other items. The time spent stocking up is a lot better than the time spent in the middle of a lake in a boat with a dead motor, with a leaking spray system, on a hot summer day, two hours before quitting time. Each applicator’s kit is obviously tailored for his or her specific needs (spare parts particularly) but here are a few items that some of my fellow applicators carry:

Spare spark plugs Spray tips and stabilizers Extra O-rings Lug wrench Duct tape Spare motor recoil Hose clamps Extra fuses Basic tool kit Trailer hub and bearings Winch crank Tow strap Extra hose Lubricants (WD-40, grease) Spare valves Spare trailer tire 2x4 pieces Spare winch cable Wire ties Rope

Spare Prop Extra cotter pins Flashlight Rubber gloves Credit: Stephen Montgomery, Allstate Resource Management

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Bottom Sediment Disruption

Several studies have shown that the resuspension of sediments by wind-driven waves and cold temperatures in tropical climates can play a significant role in affecting water quality in shallow lakes – particularly in Florida where shallow lakes are abundant. Water quality problems caused by sediment resuspension include: Resuspended sediments increase the turbidity

of the water and reduce light penetration. This reduces the depth at which algae and aquatic plants can grow in a lake.

Nutrients stored in bottom sediments are often

introduced back into the water column resulting in an increase in the growth of algae. This may or may not be desirable, depending on the intended use of the lake.

In some shallow lakes, there is a layer of algae

that grows on the surface of the sediments. These algae are resuspended along with the sediments during strong wind events and can result in significant increases in the amount of algae in the lake water.

The resuspension process, along with the

effects of the waves themselves, can form a layer of fluid-like sediments on the lake bed that is too unstable to allow for the rooting of aquatic plants. This can prevent the re-establishment of aquatic plants in a lake that previously had plants.

Credit: Florida LAKEWATCH

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Industry Announcements Florida Department of Environmental Protection wins legal battle

The latest news in a long battle involving the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and state

environmentalists has come in the form of a decision by Florida’s 1st District Court of Appeals in late February

2013. In the court ruling, a legal victory for FDEP, the Appellate Court upheld a 2012 ruling by Florida

Administrative Law Judge Bram Canter that the FDEP was acting within its authority when it set its own rules

for freshwater nutrient standards in the state.

The conflict originated in 1998, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered multiple states,

including Florida, to develop more stringent water nutrient standards for freshwater bodies. When Florida did

not comply, state environmentalists initially sued the EPA to force them to step in and set their own standards

in the absence of state action. Three years ago, the EPA did exactly that; these rules were considered overly

harsh and met largely with resistance and protests by Florida lawmakers, businesses, and utilities. In the face

of these stringent rules, the FDEP set its own standards, which were based, in part, on the EPA’s. The

nutrient standards put forth by the FDEP were later adopted by the Florida Legislature as the state’s own

guidelines.

In December 2011, a group of environmentalists, including the Florida Wildlife Federation and the Sierra

Club, filed a petition challenging the new state standards with the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings.

This resulted ultimately in Judge Canter’s ruling last year and the 1st District Court of Appeals upholding that

decision just months ago. What this means is that the FDEP freshwater nutrient standards are here to stay –

at least for now.

For detailed information on FDEP’s nutrient standards, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wqssp/nutrients.

We can help you with continuing education units for your license. Applicators seeking a license in the aquatic category must demonstrate practical knowledge of: • Pest organisms in aquatic environments • Control measures that pertain to the control of such pests • The equipment or methodologies required to safely and effectively implement such measures • Calculating the volume of water to be treated • Application rates • pH • Potential secondary effects • Various water use situations and the potential of downstream effects • Potential pesticide effects on non-target organisms; and • The principles of limited area application

Join SFAPMS Today!

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Page24 The Hydrophyte

South Florida APMS 6900 SW 21st Court Building 9 Davie, FL 33317

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South Florida Aquatic Plant Management Society proudly thanks

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3rd QTR 2013