A History of "My Lake"
Limnology and the Study of Inland Waters
By Florida LAKEWATCH Director Dr. Gretchen Lescord
At LAKEWATCH, we often say that “my lake” – the waterbody you live, work, or play on - is the most important ecosystem in the world. It is the one you care enough to sample with us, and the one you know in ways that data alone can’t capture. Your understanding and observations help us make better inferences about water quality, which is why your notes and shared experiences matter so much.
This idea of “my lake” resonates throughout limnology - the multidisciplinary study of inland waters. While surveys of many lakes are valuable (e.g., see some of my PhD work, Lescord et al. 2019), in-depth studies of individual lakes remain essential for understanding freshwater processes. In fact, I would argue that limnology was built on scientists’ close relationships with their chosen waterbodies. Here are three of my favorite examples:
François-Alphonse Forel and Lake Geneva (Switzerland)
Forel (1841–1912), often called the “father of limnology,” grew up on Lake Geneva’s shores and called it his “laboratory and aquarium.” His pioneering work integrated biology, chemistry, and physics, earning him the title and inspiring the term “limnology” as the “oceanography of lakes.” Forel published the first textbook on limnology in 1901 and a three-volume monograph on Lake Geneva (1892–1904), laying the foundation for the field (Vincent and Bertola 2012).
Photo: Adobe Stock #712507834
Benedict Dybrowski and Lake Baikal (Russia)
Exiled from his home in Poland, Dybrowski (1833–1930) began studying Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake and home to an extraordinary array of endemic species, including the only known freshwater seal. Dybrowski spent years cataloging Baikal’s biodiversity, creating invertebrate, fish, and bird taxonomic collections still referenced today. His work highlighted lakes as ecologically rich ecosystems, and a deepwater fish, Comephorus dybowskii, was named in his honor (Mierzwa-Szymkowiak and Rutkowski 2023).
Photo: Adobe Stock #194418371
Edward A. Birge and Lake Mendota (Wisconsin, USA)
Lake Mendota, often called the most studied lake in the world, became the cradle of North American limnology thanks to Birge (1851–1950) and his colleagues. His research on zooplankton helped reveal thermal and chemical stratification patterns. Given the complexity of those processes, Birge recognized the need for collaboration and co-founded the Center for Limnology on Mendota’s shores, a research hub that still thrives today (https://limnology.wisc.edu/about-cfl/history-of-limnology/).
Photo: Adobe Stock #1084460714
These stories show how deep knowledge of one lake informs research, management, and conservation on countless others. So, LAKEWATCH volunteers, your commitment to monitoring your home waterbody places you in good company, among these giants of limnology!
Data Updates
Welcome to Casey and thank you to Marina!
By Florida LAKEWATCH staff Gretchen Lescord, Jason "mo" Bennett, and Casey Harris
We are thrilled to welcome Casey Harris as the new data manager for Florida LAKEWATCH! Casey comes to us with a wealth of data-related experience, especially with long-term water quality and quantity datasets. She will continue outgoing data manager Marina Schwartz's advancements in LAKEWATCH's data management and sharing systems. Casey originally came to Florida to work for the St. Johns River Water Management District, and more recently finished a PhD in Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences at UF with Dr. AJ Reisinger and Dr. Wendy Graham. Her research explored past and future projections of water quality in freshwater rivers in the Tampa Bay region. If you have any data-related questions, you can contact Casey at caseyharris@ufl.edu.
We also want to take this opportunity to thank Marina for all her contributions to the Florida LAKEWATCH program. Marina started with us as a graduate student in 2017, under the supervision of founder, Dr. Dan Canfield. During her master’s program, she used decades of student data from Lake Alice to assess the impact of water quality changes on Florida bass abundance in UF's campus lake. Marina published her findings in the journal, Florida Scientist, and Dr. Lescord teaches her paper in the Intro to Freshwater Fisheries class today. She also wrote an interesting history of Lake Alice, for an American Fisheries Society blog, highlighting its importance and varied management over the years.
After her degree, Marina stayed with the program as a regional coordinator, supporting volunteers in central Florida. She also helped organize our data and share it with FDEP. But she didn't forget Lake Alice: Marina also assisted with the Intro to Freshwater Fisheries class, where she ran a fish anatomy station with undergraduate students. In 2024, Marina stepped into the newly created role of Data Manager, where she took on the larger task of modernizing our data systems. Over the past 2 years, Marina revolutionized how we manage our information flow, allowing for report automation and more timely updates for our volunteers. She also developed the new interactive data dashboard, which can be explored here: https://lakewatch.ifas.ufl.edu/data--reports/data-dashboard/.
Marina was the ideal person to start off this new chapter of LAKEWATCH data: she understood our ecosystems and volunteers, and had the foresight and tenacity to evolve our workflow while keeping information moving. Over the past two months, Marina has been a great mentor to Casey, showing her all our systems and ensuring LAKEWATCH data are left in good hands. Marina, we can't thank you enough for all your work, and we wish you the very best in your next chapter!
What are Microplastics?
Microplastics are emerging as one of the most pervasive environmental challenges of our time. These minuscule plastic fragments (smaller than a sesame seed at less than 5 millimeters) are invisible to the naked eye yet present almost everywhere: in our oceans, rivers, soil, food, and even our bodies. But where do they come from and why should we be concerned? Microplastics originate from a variety of sources. Some are the result of larger plastic items breaking down over time due to sunlight and wave action, such as bottles, grocery bags, and fishing nets. Others come from synthetic textiles. Every time we wash clothes made of polyester or nylon, microfibers shed into wastewater. Microbeads, once common in exfoliating beauty products, also contributed to the problem, though many countries (including the US) have banned them. Another lesser-known source is nurdles, or the raw plastic pellets used in manufacturing. These plastic pieces can accidentally spill into waterways during transport or production. Once in the environment, microplastics follow water pathways. Rainwater carries them from streets and storm drains into rivers and, eventually, lakes and the ocean. Because most water treatment systems are not designed to filter out such tiny particles, microplastics slip through and contaminate drinking water supplies. Studies have found them in tap water, bottled water, beer, sea salt, honey, milk, and even sugar. They have also entered the food chain. Fish and shellfish ingest them, and those contaminated seafood items end up on our plates.
Why should I care?
Alarming research has detected microplastics in human lungs, blood, placentas, and breast milk, raising urgent questions about long-term health effects. While the full impact on human health is still being studied, their presence in such critical biological systems underscores the need for action.
How are microplastics monitored in Florida Waterways?
In Florida, there is currently no official statewide program monitoring microplastics in waterways. Instead, much of the data comes from research initiatives and community science efforts like the Florida Microplastics Awareness Project. Volunteers collect water samples across the state, helping map microplastic pollution. Their findings are publicly accessible via an interactive map, allowing residents to see contamination levels near them. View the map here.
What can be done about microplastics?
Solutions to microplastic pollution are emerging at multiple levels. Individuals can reduce plastic use, recycle properly, and choose natural fibers over synthetics in clothing. On a larger scale, green infrastructure, such as bioretention systems, rain gardens, and treatment wetlands, can capture stormwater pollutants, including microplastics. Researchers at Florida International University are now using AI to analyze how effectively these systems filter microplastics, improving detection and response. Innovative programs like Operation TRAP are installing interceptors in storm drains and canals to catch debris before it reaches sensitive ecosystems. Together, community action, technological innovation, and policy change offer a path forward. For more information and ways to get involved, visit the Florida Microplastics Awareness Project: flseagrant.org/citizenscience/florida-microplastic-awareness-project.
From Ellen Swallow Richards to LAKEWATCH:
A Legacy of Water Monitoring
By Florida LAKEWATCH M.S. Student, Abigail Belchior
As Florida LAKEWATCH celebrates its 40th anniversary, it is worth reflecting on the long scientific tradition behind the program’s mission. Long before volunteer monitoring programs existed, one scientist laid the groundwork for how we understand and track water quality today: Ellen Swallow Richards.
Richards was a chemist and environmental scientist working in the late 1800s. At a time when industrialization was rapidly changing cities and waterways, she recognized something that many others overlooked: clean water was essential to public health and environmental protection. Her work helped create the foundation for the water monitoring programs we rely on today, including programs like Florida LAKEWATCH. In the late 19th century, Richards became the first woman admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and one of the first scientists in the United States to focus on environmental chemistry. Her research focused heavily on water quality, particularly how contaminants affected human health. At the time, cities were expanding quickly, and drinking water sources were often polluted by waste, industry, and sewage. Richards helped develop some of the first systematic approaches to water analysis. She conducted large-scale surveys of water quality across Massachusetts, testing hundreds of water samples from wells, rivers, and municipal supplies. This work was groundbreaking because it did something simple but powerful: it collected consistent measurements across many locations over time. In other words, Richards helped establish the idea that monitoring water regularly and systematically is necessary to understand and protect it. Richards’ statewide water surveys were among the earliest examples of what we now call environmental monitoring. Rather than studying a single location once, she emphasized: ● Sampling many sites ● Using consistent scientific methods ● Tracking changes through time Today, these principles are standard in environmental science. Water quality monitoring programs around the world follow similar approaches when measuring nutrients, clarity, and other indicators of ecosystem health. These same ideas guide the work of volunteer lake monitoring programs like Florida LAKEWATCH. For 40 years, Florida LAKEWATCH has worked with volunteers across the state to monitor water quality of Florida’s lakes. Participants collect regular measurements and these data allow scientists and lake managers to track long-term changes in Florida’s freshwater ecosystems. While today’s monitoring uses modern laboratories, satellite data, and advanced analysis tools, the core idea is the same one Richards championed more than a century ago: Understanding water requires consistent, long-term measurements collected across many locations. LAKEWATCH volunteers play a critical role in this effort. Their dedication provides one of the longest and most comprehensive lake monitoring datasets in the country, if not the world.
Richards believed that science should serve the public and improve everyday life. In many ways, volunteer monitoring programs represent that same philosophy. As LAKEWATCH celebrates 40 years of volunteer monitoring, it continues a tradition that began with early pioneers like Ellen Swallow Richards, who understood that protecting water begins with understanding it. More than a century ago, Ellen Swallow Richards helped establish the foundations of water quality science. Today, Florida LAKEWATCH volunteers carry that work forward by helping scientists monitor and understand Florida’s lakes. Each water sample collected, each Secchi depth recorded, and each dataset compiled contributes to a long scientific tradition, one that began with the simple but powerful idea that careful observation can protect our most important natural resources. As we celebrate 40 years of LAKEWATCH, we also celebrate the legacy of those who helped make water monitoring possible.
Seminole Killifish
Scientific name: Fundulus seminolis
Written by Regional Coordinator, Dan Willis
The Seminole Killifish is member of the topminnow family (Fundulidae) and is only one of three fish species endemic to Florida, meaning they are only found here. They can be identified by their slender torpedo shaped body that is copper to green in color with rows of small black spots on the sides of their body with clear to orange fins. They also have upturned mouths. They inhabit sandy bottom areas of lakes, ponds, and streams. Juveniles are often found in or near vegetation and larger adults are found in the open water. They can grow as large as 140mm-160mm (4 to 6 inches). They are considered a very important food source to large predatory fish. Therefore, they are monitored by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s long-term shallow water fisheries studies. They are commonly used by anglers as bait fish in freshwater and saltwater. It has been shown that there is a potential economic benefit in aquaculture to grow this fish for marine baitfish and a small number of commercial operations are in production.
- Diet: They eat algae, small crustaceans such as cladocerans or ostracods, fish eggs, small insects such as chironomids, aquatic insect larvae, and plant seeds.
- Distribution in the US: The Seminole Killifish are found through peninsular Florida from the Apalachicola River basin to the Everglades.
- More information: Florida Museum
Least Bittern
Scientific Name: Ixobrychus exilis
Written by Florida LAKEWATCH Regional Coordinator, Natalie Anderson
The Least Bittern is one of Florida’s most secretive wetland birds and is often detected by sound rather than sight. This small heron inhabits freshwater marshes, lake edges, and wet prairies where dense emergent vegetation provides concealment, and its quiet behavior and excellent camouflage make it one of the most difficult marsh birds to observe. During the breeding season, Least Bitterns are more often heard than seen, as males produce a soft, low-pitched series of “coo-coo-coo” notes from concealed locations within marsh vegetation. Hear their call: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Least_Bittern/sounds Watch and hear a vocalizing Least Bittern: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJfbN7GZ9xI Least Bitterns are the smallest herons in North America, yet they hunt with the same slow, careful movements seen in larger heron species. Their slender bodies, long toes, and striped necks allow them to move easily through reeds and cattails. Adult males typically have glossy black crowns and backs, while females and juveniles are more brown-toned, providing effective camouflage within marsh vegetation.
Foraging usually takes place within thick plant cover rather than open water. Least Bitterns feed on small fish, frogs, insects, and crustaceans, using slow, methodical movements to capture prey. Their long toes allow them to grasp stems while leaning over the water’s surface. When threatened, they often adopt a rigid posture with the bill pointed upward, blending in seamlessly with surrounding vegetation. Least Bittern nests are shallow platforms woven from reeds and grasses and suspended just above the water, with both adults participating in incubation and chick rearing. Fast-growing, the chicks are capable of leaving the nest to climb in nearby reeds in as little as 5 to 9 days and become fully independent in about a month, an adaptation that reduces vulnerability to predators and flooding.
In Florida, Least Bitterns can be found in suitable marsh habitat at locations such as Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, Wakodahatchee Wetlands, and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Early morning and evening hours provide the best opportunity to detect them by sound.
- Fun fact: John James Audubon noted that a captive Least Bittern could slip through a gap only 1.5 inches wide between two books, even though its body typically measured about 2.25 inches across, an ability that helps the species move easily through dense, tangled vegetation.
- Diet: Small fish, frogs, insects, crustaceans.
- Threats: Wetland loss, altered water levels, pollution.
- Status: Not endangered
- More Information: Audubon, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, FWC
Reminders
Who you gonna call?
Broken Bottles
The LAKEWATCH Lab has been receiving nutrient bottles that are in rough shape. These are the smaller bottles that you fill and freeze each time you sample. We reuse these bottles for as long as possible to save money for the program and keep as many lakes in the program as we can. Please follow the tips below to help us keep using these nutrient bottles:
- Please do not write on the bottles. Make sure to write on the labels only.
- Don't overfill them. The water expands as it freezes and will crack the bottles.
- Be careful when handling frozen bottles as they can crack easily.
Please complete your data sheet!
You work hard for your data so don't forget the little things. Data sheets without sampling and filtering times and dates must be entered with "qualifiers", which means they won't be as useful to DEP and researchers. In fact, they may not be able to be entered into DEP's Watershed Information Network at all.
The LAKEWATCH newsletter is edited by Dr. Liz Moreau. You can reach out with questions, comments, or feedback at duermite@ufl.edu