First impression with Everglades National Park

My first visit in Everglades National Park! My impression with the park is first amazing beautiful flat ever-green sawgrasses. Yes, it is obviously true as the name suggests. Alligator, frogs, fish, grasses, birds and mosquitos, to name a few, I have seen all those in 5 minutes! What a beautiful ecosystem near highly populated Miami areas. However, after spending some times to read scientific papers about the region, I cannot help thinking of environmental disasters that have been happening and will happen in the near future.

Alligator vs. Crocodile, that was very confusing for me. But after I see this beautiful one I will  remember that an alligator live in freshwater and can be BIG!

I visited a research site in which super talented graduate students Ben Wilson, Shelby Servais, and Sean Charles, Drs. John Kominoski's and Tiffany Troxer's crew at Florida International University, have conducted a saltwater manipulation experiment. In essence, they have monthly added saltwater into brackish wetlands to examine the effect of higher salinity on ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycles for about two years. Compared to my research at Virginia Commonwealth University, this is higher salinity dosing experiment and brackish environment so that I would not be able to compare our results directly. However,  I have seen some similar results, suggesting negative effects of higher salinity on marsh production, soil stability, and nutrient export. Most striking observation of today is peat collapse. I have seen peat collapse frequently in my research site in VA, and it is usually found along a edge of wetlands where high energy events such as storms or tides weaken soil stability by erosion. But I found severe peat collapse in the middle of wetlands. I can't tell exactly how much soils have been lost, but at least 10 cm of soils seemed to be gone and most roots came out of soils.

Shelby and Ben covered their faces due to mosquitos

The definition of peat collapse. 

This is a huge regional and global problem. Sea level rise will bring more saltwater into fresher ecosystem. It will lead to an expansion of peat collapse upstream. Marshes are heavy carbon sinkers that can stabilize soil structure, and they are likely the last hope for us to fight against sea level rise. We really need to improve an understanding of marsh-saltwater-nutrient-soil interactions to predict future changes and to mitigate sea level rise. The marshes in the picture make me sad, but I feel good at the same time because I am fighting for something we all need to protect.