Introduction to Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, FL

Introduction and general impressions of the Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, FL during a tour boat excursion with the participants of the GulfPhoto Workshop: Enabling the Study of the Gulf of Mexico's Photosynthetic Primary Producers. The Workshop was organized by Dr. Austin Mast at Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, October 8-9, 2010.

Wakulla Springs is located within the Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, which is owned and managed by the Department of Environmental (DEP) Protection Parks and Recreation Division. Three miles of the Wakulla River are located within the State Park boundaries, as well as Wakulla Spring, a First Magnitude Spring with a roughly circular pool and the longest and deepest known submerged freshwater cave system in the world (http://www.floridastateparks.org/wakullasprings/). No boating is allowed other than park-operated tour boats.

The Wakulla river is lined with hardwood and bald cypress trees (Taxodium distichum) loaded with the bromeliad epiphyte Spanish moss. The bottom consists of a mixture of limestone gravel and sand with patches of the wide-bladed freshwater eelgrass,Vallisneria americana. Freshwater algal blooms are prevalent, and include members of the green alga Spirogyra (Zygnematales, Chraophyta), the xanthophyte Vaucheria (Xantophyceae, Heterokontophyta), and the Cyanobacterium Lyngbya. Excess nitrate loading has resulted in an increase of these algal blooms and accompanying decline of the health of the ecosystem.

Wildlife shown includes anhingas, white ibises, tricolor herons, American alligators, West Indian manatees.

Classic movies such as the 1941 original Tarzan series (Tarzan's Secret Treasure" and "Tarzan's New York Adventure") and the 1953 "Creature from the Black Lagoon" were shot throughout the park.

Filmed by Suzanne Fredericq, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, on Oct. 8, 2010.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• anhinga
• Florida
• freshwater
• river
• karst
• macroalgae
• algae
• blue green algae
• blue green bacteria
• manatee
• eelgrass

[lakemarygardens]

Nicely edited video. Beautiful water and awesome scenery!

[DJSlurp1200]

Great video! Nice job on the editing too!