Lead Principal Investigators from all 26 LTER sites, as well as local and national partners, traveled to Key Largo, FL for the annual LTER Science Council meeting on October 25-27, 2026. The Florida Coastal Everglades (FCE) LTER program hosted the meeting with support from the Institute of Environment at FIU, and the LTER Network Office organized the meeting. LTER sites traditionally host LTER Science Council meetings, and FCE last hosted a LTER Science Council meeting in 2005.
On October 25, 2026, over 30 members of the FCE community introduced approximately 37 LTER Science Council meeting attendees to the Florida Coastal Everglades through two field trips and a reception. The field trips and reception were opportunities for the FCE community to come together and interact with the larger LTER Network and for the LTER Network to learn about FCE research. A land-based field trip focused on Everglades National Park and the Mangrove Elevational Manipulation Experiment site near the C-111 canal, and a marine-based field trip focused on Florida Bay and Aquarius. After the field trips, the Institute of Environment at FIU hosted a reception at the Aquarius Shore Base, which included a tour of the facilities.
The LTER Science Council meeting took place at the Reef House Resort’s meeting room in Key Largo and focused on partnerships and included short updates from each LTER site, panel discussions, and breakout groups.
FIELD TRIP TO THE EVERGLADES
The field trip started with an orientation to the Everglades by John Kominoski at the Ernest Coe Visitor’s Center in Everglades National Park. Photo by Anthony Sleiman
Boarding the bus at the Ernest Coe Visitor’s Center to head to Pa-hay-okee in Everglades National Park. Photo by Anthony Sleiman
Along the Tommy Shannon, FCE post doc, showing periphyton to folks at the Pa-hay-okee in Everglades National Park. Photo by Anthony Sleiman
Looking towards Shark River Slough from the Pa-hay-okee overlook in Everglades National Park. Photo by Anthony Sleiman
Group photo at the Pa-hay-okee overlook in Everglades National Park. Photo by Anthony Sleiman
Hiking through near Pa-hay-okee in Everglades National Park. Photo by Tommy Shannon
Hiking near Pa-hay-okee in Everglades National Park. Photo by Anthony Sleiman
The next stop was Royal Palm and the Anhinga Trail, where Paige Kleindl talked about her research. Photo by Anthony Sleiman
Katie Johnson shows photos of diatoms taken through a microscope at Royal Palm. Photo by Anthony Sleiman
Walking along the Anhinga trail in Everglades National Park. Photo by Anthony Sleiman
Walking on the boardwalk to the Mangrove Elevational Manipulation Experiment site near the C-111 canal, the last stop of the field trip. Photo by Tommy Shannon
Tour of the Mangrove Elevational Manipulation Experiment site. Photo by Tommy Shannon
View of submerged vegetation (foreground) and people on the boardwalk at the Mangrove Elevational Manipulation Experiment site. Photo by Tommy Shannon
RECEPTION AT THE FIU AQUARIUS SHORE BASE
After the field trips, FIU’s Institute of Environment and Aquarius hosted a reception at the FIU Aquarius Shore Base. Photo by Mike Rugge
Reception at the FIU Aquarius Shore Base. Photo by Mike Rugge
Sunset at the reception. Photo by Mike Rugge
LTER SCIENCE COUNCIL MEETING AT THE KEY LARGO CONFERENCE CENTER
The LTER Science Council meeting was held in the Key Largo Conference Center (left) at the Reef House resort. Photo by Mike Rugge
Marty Downs organized and ran the meeting. Photo by Mike Rugge
Taking a break during the LTER Science Council Meeting. Photo by Mike Rugge
John Kominoski discussing local partnerships at FCE. Photo by Mike Rugge
Panel discussion of local partnerships, featuring FCE partners from Everglades National Park and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. The panel from left to right: John Kominoski, Bradley Strickland (Everglades National Park), and Kevin Cunniff (Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida). Photo by Mike Rugge
Aranzazu Lascurain,the Southeast and Caribbean Regional Lead for NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, discusses national partnerships. Photo by John Kominoski
Breakout group discussing partnerships at the LTER Science Council Meeting. Photo by Marty Downs
Key Largo sunset. Photo by John Kominoski