Page 92 - February_2016_Life_In_Naples_Magazine

by Nick Penniman GOOgDoodDscEieCncIeSlIeaOdsNtoS
“G ood science leads to good decisions.” about to release Kee Wee from her box with a satellite antenna on her shell.
That is Kathy Worley’s take on the work The adhesive and antenna don’t hurt, and they’ll not affect her ability to swim
of seven scientists at the Conservancy of and forage. But when she surfaces to breathe it will provide scientists a signal
Southwest Florida.Worley is Director of allowing them to create an ongoing record of her travels.
Environmental Science, one of a long line of distinguished Addison, an “aw schucks” kind of guy, has been guiding this project for
researchers compiling data and analyzing human impacts nearly thirty years. “It’s not only about the turtles,” he says, “but also about the
formative process and about the many people who have gone on to become great
on the natural beauty of where we live and work.
From its very beginning, 52 years ago, the Conservancy researchers and great scientists.”
built its reputation on pure science, independently funded Vying for longevity with the sea turtle project is Conservancy work on the
and undertaken to expand human knowledge. While mangrove forests that protect our coastline from storm surge and serve as nature’s
formed to fight the “road to nowhere” from Naples down nurseries. After all 80 percent of all fish caught, both commercially and by sport
the barrier islands to Isles of Capri, Conservancy leaders fishermen, begin their early lives in coastal estuaries.
This is Kathy Worley’s world.She is shown
realized the best case to be made for land acquisition -
here in a photo with a small red mangrove
now the 110,000-acre Rookery Bay National Estuarine
which, once it establishes a root system, can
Research Reserve - was to convince officials and the public
become the precursor of a formidable island.
of the economic importance of habitat for native species.
The Conservancy has been studying the
When the federal government refused to do the study,
health of mangroves in Clam Bay since 1999
the Conservancy decided to do it. And the science division
to assess the overall health of the ecosystem.
was born.
The idea is to evaluate the impacts of human
“Very few other private organizations, other than
stressors such as dredging and urban runoff,
colleges and universities, continue to do the kind of
natural events such as hurricanes and
independent scientific research we do,” says Worley. We are
lightning strikes and environmental factors
fortunate to have long-term data on areas such as Rookery
like hydrologic variations and fungal and
Bay and Naples Bay, southwest Florida mangroves and sea
turtles that will be of benefit both locally and worldwide. insect infestations. The Clam Bay mangrove study is one of the longest-running
Let’s take a look at three areas of current activity by in the State of Florida.
While almost all science done by the Conservancy involves multiple partners
Conservancy scientists.
The granddaddy of all is the study of loggerhead nesting – both government and private – not all encompasses the coastal environment.
along our barrier islands. Begun in 1981, it is one of the An example of an inland
longest-running sea turtle nesting studies in the United study is shown in this
States. Conservancy scientists and interns have spent photo of Ian Bartoszek,
thousands of nights preventing nest depredation by four a Conservancy biologist
who serves on the Burmese
legged scavengers and gathering population statistics.
Shown in the photo is Dave Addison, Senior Biologist, python capture team, with a
thirteen foot snake. In 2015,

Bartoszek tracked twelve

pythons and removed twenty

while obtaining valuable

information about the

habits of the invasive species

responsible for eating much

of the small prey in the Everglades ecosystem. Bartoszek’s take on the python

infestation is blunt: “We aren’t going to get rid of these animals, so the best we

can do is study them so we can manage the situation in the years to come.”

The future of science, according to Dave Addison, is always imponderable.

“One thing leads to another; you never know where it will take you or where it

comes out. That is the nature of scientific inquiry.”

PHOTO(S) COURTESY OF CONSERVANCY OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

92 Life in Naples | February 2016