Great for ages 6 - 18!

Watershed

      Water movement is governed by topography. A watershed or drainage basin is the land area that drains to a common body of water. For example the Gulf of Mexico is fed by water originating above Orlando in the Kissimmee River. Human actions within the watershed including altering natural drainage patterns have the potential for harming aquatic systems.

Enviroscape

      This model represents a coastal area including a dredged channel, resort community, treatment plant, gasoline station, marina, septic tank and urban sprawl. Point source pollution is pollution you can see that is directly discharged from a factory. Non-point pollution can be from soil, fertilizers, oil and trash. Underground storage also contaminates ground water.

Water Pollution

      What is a coastal zone? Contains 90% of all marine species, but only make up less than 10% of the ocean area. Coastal zones are very productive and include coral reefs, estuaries, sea grasses, wetlands, mangroves and barrier islands. The Enviroscape shows how the ground soaks up water, some evaporates and the rest runs off the surface in to bodies of water. As the water runs off the surface it gathers sediment, bacteria, nutrients, heavy metals and other toxic chemicals. These pollutants can cause algae blooms, coral reef and sea grass die-off, birth defects and or sterile offspring.

      We have changed the surface of the earth, no longer does water filter through the soil, but runs off the cement into a canal, lake or the ocean.  This doesn’t allow for pollutants to be filtered out. Agriculture and industry use most of our water. South Florida will eventually run out of clean water.  When we use up our groundwater we get saltwater intrusion ruining the remaining water.

Eutrophication

      Cities and farms are sources of nutrients and sediments. Water becomes turbid, plants cannot grow on the bottom of lake, estuary or bay and excess nutrients cause algae blooms, further reducing sunlight reaching benthic plants. Thus there is no more habitat/ nursery. When algae dies, decomposition sucks up the oxygen and you get fish kills. Wetlands help filter out sediment and nutrients; if we destroy our wetlands, we destroy our natural cleaning system, in turn, the cost of living increases to pay for expensive cleaning.

Do you know???

What is point and non-point source pollution?
What are some ways in which humans affect the environment?
How does recycling protect the quality of life?
When and why would a scientist use a model?
How does the population impact our world?
How can I protect the environment?

This activity meets the following Florida Sunshine State Standards:

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For more information or to register please call (954) 924-4309, fax (954) 924-4333, e-mail or mail to:

IGFA

Attn: Education Department

300 Gulf Stream Way

Dania Beach, FL 33004

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