As the human population of Florida continues to grow and concentrate along the coastline, the demand for control of the hordes of mosquitoes produced in coastal habitats also increases, and so do the negative impacts of anthropogenic pressures on the State’s wetlands and estuaries. These habitats are extremely important to Florida, both ecologically and economically, so it is imperative that ecologically-sound management strategies, including pest control practices, be developed to prevent their further deterioration.
Salt marsh mosquitoes lay their eggs upon moist, but not submerged, soils of the high marsh. The eggs hatch when they are flooded by infrequent tides or rainfall. Many source reduction techniques used elsewhere for salt marsh mosquitoes such as shallow ditching and open marsh water management are difficult to implement in this area because of the low tidal amplitude and because the thick mangrove stands make it difficult to construct structural modifications such as ditches and ponds without causing considerable damage to this valuable habitat. To control mosquito production, over 16,200 ha of high marshes and mangrove forests were impounded along the Indian River Lagoon along Florida’s East coast. We have documented impacts on many components of the Indian River Lagoon ecosystem including water quality, fish and invertebrates, seagrasses, and marsh vegetation. We have also documented improvements possible by modifying management strategies and have incorporated these into new and existing management techniques for Indian River Lagoon wetlands. These modifications have resulted in improved water quality, improved access of organisms to critical habitats, and drastically reduced impacts to coastal vegetation, including mangroves and seagrasses.
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA