image of woman in the field with binoculars

Long-term Tracking of Wetland Birds

The Everglades Ecosystem is Critical to Survival

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By Bethany Augliere

For the wading birds of South Florida 鈥 like wood storks, ibises, herons and egrets 鈥 the delicate water balance of the Everglades ecosystem is critical to their survival. It impacts their ability to find food during the wet season and successfully nest in the dry season.

Since 2005, scientists with FAU鈥檚 Avian Ecology lab have monitored and studied the nesting colonies of these long-legged birds in the Everglades, including sites at Lake Okeechobee. As habitat loss and climate change threaten South Florida鈥檚 wetlands and wildlife, the lab鈥檚 research plays an important role in management and restoration efforts.

鈥淭hese high nesting events were an iconic feature of this historic Everglades system, and they鈥檙e indicators of the overall health of the Everglades,鈥 said Michelle Petersen, Ph.D., an assistant research professor in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and principal investigator of the 麻豆精品视频Avian Ecology Lab. 鈥淎s highly managed ecosystems, this research allows us to determine if we are managing the system correctly in order to provide habitat for these birds to successfully forage and produce young.鈥澛犫

A flying white ibis
A flying white ibis, which nests in the Everglades.
All photography by Avian Ecology Lab