Community structure of aquatic vertebrates and macroinvertebrates in relation to hydrologic variables in the Shark River Slough, Everglades National Park, Florida USA: Ongoing since 2012

The purpose of this project is to characterize the community structure of aquatic fauna (macroinvertebrates and fishes) and floating mats (including periphyton) across the heterogenous landscape of the NE Shark River Slough in Everglades NP. The community structure (abundance, biomass, and species composition) of floating mat, emergent vascular plants, fishes, and macroinvertebrates, and the spatial distribution of the latter in relation to hydrology, are among the key performance measures targeted for monitoring. The aim of our study is to provide a baseline characterization of these parameters so that the impact of future management activities (e.g., Modified Water Deliveries and Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan) can be assessed. The study area is sampled during the late wet season (September through November) to capture data when all sites are innundated with water and aquatic animal standing stocks are typically at their maximum. We document landscape-scale patterns in the NE Shark River Slough from this comprehensive sampling.