Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research
Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research (LTER)


The Florida Coastal Everglades (FCE) LTER Program is part of the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network established by the National Science Foundation in 1980. The FCE LTER Program was established in May of 2000 in south Florida, where a rapidly growing population of over 6 million people live in close proximity to - and in dependence upon - the Florida Everglades. The program is based at Florida International University and includes 75 senior scientists and 64 students from 29 institutions.

Research Focus
FCE research focuses on an area where freshwater and estuarine vegetation mix, or the "oligohaline ecotone". FCE researchers study how hydrology, climate, and human activities affect ecosystem and population dynamics in the ecotone and more broadly, the Florida Coastal Everglades.

We have made significant contributions to our understandings of:
  • Unique Nutrient Sources
  • Food Webs
  • Productivity Paradox
  • Productivity Gradients in Mangroves
  • Communication to Policymakers

    • News & Announcements

    2012 Florida Coastal Everglades LTER All Scientists Meeting
    The 2012 Florida Coastal Everglades LTER All Scientists Meeting will be held at Deering Estate on March 15-16, 2012. Please register by March 2, 2012 if you plan to attend.

    Rebecca Garvoille awarded NSF dissertation improvement grant
    Rebecca Garvoille was awarded a dissertation improvement grant from the National Science Foundation. Her proposal is entitled: "Sociocultural Effects of Ecosystem Restoration: Remaking Identity, Landscape, and Belonging in the Florida Everglades."

    Congratulations, Rebecca!

    FIU exhibit on display at Museum of Discovery and Science
    A kiosk at the Museum of Discovery and Science in Ft. Lauderdale's recently opened EcoDiscovery Center allows visitors to view the movements of alligators and a variety of sharks that Michael Heithaus and his research team are currently tracking along the coastal Everglades.



    Featured Work

    Key Findings:
    Productivity Gradients in Mangroves

    FCE researchers have found significant spatial differences in mangrove productivity; from riverine mangrove forests with productivity rates similar to tropical rain forests to low structure scrub mangroves that grow in nutrient-poor environments. Mangrove forests growth and survival are greatly influenced by the impacts and legacies of hurricanes, sea-level rise, and human impacts along coastal areas.
    More information...

    FCE researchers evaluate mangrove mortality at the mouth of the Shark River estuary after the passage of Hurricane Wilma in October of 2005






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    National Science Foundation logo This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation through the Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research program under Cooperative Agreements #DBI-0620409 and #DEB-9910514. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
    Please address questions or comments about this website to: fcelter@fiu.edu.
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