Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Wall Springs Park

Wall Springs Park
Address: 3725 Desoto Blvd,
Palm Harbor, FL 346834
Weather:  About 82 degrees, clouds starting to form.

Wall Springs Park is an example of a fresh water spring ecosystem, which was once used as a swimming pool and a spa resort back in the day. There is a bayou ecosystem that surrounds the springs, we observed karst topography, as well as wild life living in this type of ecosystem.

While we were at the park, we did a couple salinity and PH tests at different locations, the first location was a salinity of 2 and PH of 7. The second location was where the tunnel connected the water to the spring from the bayou. The water salinity here was a 16/17 and PH at about a 6. We went deeper into the park and tested the salinity again and it was a 25. Wall springs faces many invasive species some being air potatoes, and chinaberry. There was black, red and white mangroves that we were able to see, along with duck weed.







When we got further into the park there were fish jumping out the water, there appeared to be a lot of fish at this park. Upon looking it up I determined the fish to be silver carp. We witnessed a lot of horseshoe crabs, some huge needle fish, ducks, and even a few small jelly fish.


It is very interesting to see something that we have learned in class actually be something close to home. Near the spring area there was a lot of dead fish skeletons, also a horseshoe crab skeleton. At one point it was almost as if the water wasn’t moving, but then you look to the other side across the walk path and see water gushing out the pipe. There are areas that have been changed by humans due to it being a spa and a swimming pool at one point in time. 




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