Rookery Bay
There is no greater experience than visiting the place where freshwater and salt-water meet. When I was in high school I was blessed to go on a field trip through Rookery Bay. We did some net fishing to see some of the local populations of sea creatures. I was able to hold and touch a batfish during this time and it is such a unique memory that I will never forget.
Rookery Bay is an essential part of SWFL's ecosystem. The vast stretches of mangrove trees provide habitats for birds and fish. Here, birds can migrate to raise their young, which is why it is called a rookery. The roots of the mangrove trees provide hiding spots for the sea creatures too. Finally, the mangrove trees themselves prevent storms and hurricanes from eroding the inland soil (Marine and Coastal Field Experience document). So, all in all, the mangroves really do the bulk of the work in maintaining the ecosystem.
In fact, it would not be incorrect to call mangroves a keystone species: "A keystone species is one that plays a disproportionately high role in determining the structure of an ecosystem" (Sustainability Principles and Practices, 120). Mangrove trees act as both a creature and part of the ecosystem and as the very habitat that another life resides on. Without mangrove trees, there would be no rookery and the erosion would decimate the coast. Mangrove trees even provide food and filter through the water. These enormous trees are the guardians of Florida's coastal wildlife.
Sadly, there is still a lot of misinformation and politics embued into Rookery Bay. The previous White House administration desired to do some budget cuts during their time, and part of the cut involved Rookery Bay's budget. Without funding, Rookery Bay would have to depend on donations which are much more unstable. It is clear that Rookery Bay and its research facility provide an essential service for the environment, and for us. Ecosystem services are "the biological functions that support life" that exist because of an ecosystem (Sustainability Principles and Practices, 5). Rookery Bay provides several important ecosystem services, but the most important is the wall of mangrove trees that prevent erosion during Hurricanes. If by some means the mangrove population in Rookery Bay were to decline, then the damages to the local area during hurricanes and storms would be in the millions each year. I have stated the same idea in previous blog posts and do not like to be redundant and repetitive; but, it is our responsibility to ensure that Rookery Bay remains intact and flourishing for the sake of the ecosystem and for the sake of all people living in that region.
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