These habitats are by far my favorite here in central Florida. Conveniently for me, they tend to only be a couple feet deep, so I can explore them in their entirety if I want! Because they are typically ephemeral and dry for a portion of the year, they tend to not have fish and therefore tend to not have alligators, but I explore carefully just in case! Interestingly, the swamp in this photograph is a bit of an exception to the rule for some reason and doesn't tend to completely dry up, or at least it hasn't in the almost 5 years I've been hiking near it.
Unfortunately this spring, like many others in Florida, is becoming increasingly crowded with algal growth primarily because Floridians like to dump an incredible amount of fertilizer on their property. Much of Florida has karst topography that allows for underground flow of water, resulting in amazing springs like this. Excess fertilizer combined with historically low aquifer levels means less flow and too much nutrient input into these systems. Multiple algae species can grow so extensively that they can completely choke out a springhead when combined with low flow conditions. This can lead to low oxygen levels and excess ammonia, reducing the ability of life to live there.
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