1. How Do You Know an Ecosystem is Healthy?

2. There are many factors used to assess health
Turbidity
Dissolved Oxygen
Nutrients (Phosphorus, Nitrogen)
Bioassays

3. Salinity Measure of salt dissolved in a sample of water
Measured in parts per thousand (ppt)
Can be measured by determining how much water conducts electricity
Influenced by tides and rainstorms
Higher salt concentrations can decrease dissolved oxygen
Organisms may not be tolerant to high salt concentrations

4. Events Affecting Salinity

5. What site do you think has highest salinity?
Ocean = 35 ppt (seawater)
Downtown = ppt (brackish)
Near Buckman Bridge = 0-5 ppt (freshwater)

6. What site do you think has highest salinity?
Ocean = 35 ppt (seawater)
Downtown = ppt (brackish)
Near Buckman Bridge = 0-5 ppt (freshwater)

7. What site do you think has highest salinity?
Sample 1 = 35 ppt (seawater)
Sample 2 = ppt (brackish)
Sample 3 = 0-5 ppt (freshwater)

8. References
Pinto, G., Bielmyer-Fraser, G.K., Goldberg, N., Ouellette, A., Le, A., Pyati, R., Zoellner, B., Closmann, C. (2018/19) State of the River Report for the Lower St. Johns River Basin, Florida: Water Quality, Fisheries, Aquatic Life, & Contaminants (LSJR). Prepared for the City of Jacksonville, Environmental Protection Board.