Sanctuarys expert talks about sources, restoration and why it matters – Florida Keys Weekly

As the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary wades through the Restoration Blueprint public meetings, discussions, drafts and revisions processes, water quality remains a primary concern for all parties involved.

The Weekly caught up with Karen Bohnsack, who deals with all things water quality for the sanctuary, to learn more.

What is your primary objective as the associate director for water quality and ecosystem restoration for FKNMS? My goal is to work with the community and suite of partners who have authority over activities that impact water quality to understand the sources of water quality decline, and develop and implement solutions. Through my role, I want the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to be a leader in demonstrating commitment, action, and progress towards improving water quality in the Florida Keys.

Is your position relatively new with FKNMS? When did you start? Yes, my position is relatively new with the sanctuary, and was created with the recognition that we needed to have more dedicated attention to water quality issues and solutions. I started in mid-August 2019.

What are the biggest water quality challenges for the Sanctuary? Are these local, regional, global or a mix? Water quality in the sanctuary is affected by a mix of local, regional and global factors.

Locally, wastewater, stormwater runoff and land-based sources of pollution from the islands are among the most important contributors to water quality decline as they contribute high concentrations of nutrients and other pollutants into nearshore waters. The Keys are made of a porous limestone bedrock, so pollutants that soak into the ground may eventually reach nearby surface waters.

Were also influenced by waters that flow to the Keys from other locations, including the Gulf of Mexico and southern Florida, which is highly urbanized and home to 8 million people. This connectivity adds additional complexity to managing water quality locally, as wastewater and stormwater inputs from Floridas east and southwest coasts also have the ability to influence Keys water quality.

Globally, increasing temperatures and ocean acidification will affect our waters, and sea level rise and changing storm and rainfall patterns may exacerbate local water quality issues by increasing runoff of various land-based pollutants into nearshore waters.

How are water quality and ecosystem restoration connected? Restoring and protecting water quality is essential for the overall recovery and sustainability of habitats, fish and wildlife in the Keys.

The coral reefs and seagrasses thrive in and rely on clean, clear water that is low in nutrients. Exposure to nutrients, toxins and other pollutants negatively affects these resources and their associated marine life, which over time causes shifts to algae dominated areas with cloudier water and fewer fish.

Can we restore our coral, seagrass, mangroves etc. if we dont tackle water quality issues? Good water quality is fundamental to a healthy ecosystem and is important for the long term success of any restoration effort. We have and will continue to work on water quality solutions within the Florida Keys and regionally. However, understanding that such improvements are extremely complex and require significant time and financial investments, it is important to simultaneously pursue proactive restoration to maintain key ecosystem functions.

What is the Water Quality Protection Program, how can it help, and can folks get involved? The Water Quality Protection Program (WQPP) was created as part of the legislation that established the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. This program has worked for over 25 years to address sources of pollution and maintain the water quality conditions needed to sustain healthy coral reefs, seagrass and marine wildlife populations.

Through this program, a variety of corrective actions, education and outreach, monitoring, and research activities have been undertaken to better understand and address the sources of pollution contributing to water quality degradation within the Florida Keys. In addition to contributing strong scientific information and providing a forum for public input on water quality issues, the WQPP allows for collaboration among the different agencies with water quality responsibilities, which creates an opportunity to achieve meaningful improvements in water quality beyond what an individual agency or organization could accomplish alone.

Members of the community can attend WQPP meetings both to become more informed about water quality issues and to share concerns or perspectives about water quality from their experience. Visit ocean.floridamarine.org/FKNMS_WQPP/ to learn more.

Whats one thing people can do to help improve water quality? Protecting and improving water quality is complex and challenging, and requires both coordinated agency action and individual effort. Probably the best thing that each individual can do is to become informed about water quality, then consider their own activities and identify one way you can specifically change your behaviors to protect water quality. This may include keeping nutrient-rich yard waste and fish scraps out of canals and nearshore waters, using vessel pumpout services, reducing fertilizer use or avoiding applications before rain, proper disposal of household chemicals and/or connecting to central sewer if you havent yet. Such small, individual efforts can help, especially if everyone contributes.

Bohnsack can be reached at [emailprotected].

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