Kristin Jacobs Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Area Water Quality Assessment: Part 2

The Kristin Jacobs Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Area (Coral ECA) Water Quality Assessment (WQA) was designed in 2014 by a collaborating body of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists, Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) staff, and partners from the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative (SEFCRI). The goal of the WQA was to provide data for managers to assess the status of the Coral ECA, an area which historically did not have a consistent water quality monitoring program.
The focus of this study extends from the St. Lucie Inlet in the north to offshore Biscayne Bay in the south, containing nine major inlets, namely, St. Lucie (STL), Jupiter (JUP), Lake Worth (ILW), Boynton (BOY), Boca Raton (BOC), Hillsboro (HIL), Port Everglades (PEV), Baker’s Haulover (BAK), and Government Cut (GOC).
The overall goal of this assessment is to identify both the constituents and impacts of land-based sources of pollution on coral reef ecosystems and inform resource managers and decision-makers on the water quality status in the Southeast Florida coastal zone. Our objectives in that context are aimed to answer the following questions:

1. Does water quality differ among ICAs?
2. Does water quality differ among Site Types (Inlet, Outfall, and Reef)?
3. Does water quality differ between surface and bottom waters?
4. How Do Available Water Quality Data Compare to Relevant Published Benchmarks, Especially Those of SE Florida Waters?