The purpose of this interim report is to introduce the systemwide (4000-square-mile) scope of the monitoring project in the Everglades ecosystem and to present preliminary findings on the mercury contamination, eutrophication, habitat alteration, and hydropattern modification issues. The greatest threat to the Everglades ecosystem is to assume these issues are independent. The monitoring in this project strongly supports the federal and state Everglades restoration efforts and will provide a means to evaluate present and future management actions. This project is focused on the ecological risk assessment process and guided by a set of policy relevant questions. A statistical survey design was used to select 200 canal and 500 marsh sampling stations, a quarter of which were sampled during successive wet and dry seasons over two years. These data allow quantitative estimation of the relative risk to the ecological resources from multiple environmental threats. Marsh monitoring has been conducted during two years, one of which was the wettest year on record. To determine the range of natural variance to support and validate mercury modeling, process studies, and future assessments, this monitoring should continue.

"EPA 904/R-96/008". Running title: South Florida Ecosystem Assessment Report. "The South Florida Ecosystem Assessment is being accomplished through the cooperation of...US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Geological Survey, the US National Park Service, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the South Florida Water Management District, and the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission. Florida International University Southeast Environmental Research Program is also a partner in this effort." -- inside front cover.