South Florida's clean water crisis often focuses on large-scale topics like Lake Okeechobee, but Southwest Florida water watchers say the conversation must also include smaller-scale bodies of water: the health of ponds, lakes, and canals that dot the landscape across the region.
Dr. Serge Thomas, an environmental studies professor at FGCU who's focus has turned from oceanography to the humble pond, joins Gulf Coast Live to discuss the ways local treatments for ponds and other waterways can imperil plants, animals, and larger bodies of water in the ecosystem.
He says the way we treat our ponds can be the first step to ensuring "natural, clean water cycles in Southwest Florida."
Also joining the program is Dr. Ernesto Lasso de la Vega, the Pond Watch coordinator for the Lee County Hyacinth Control District, whose public outreach and education helps homeowners and community members take charge of local ponds and waterways.