FCE LTER

The Florida Coastal Everglades (FCE) LTER Program is part of the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network established by the National Science Foundation in 1980. The FCE LTER Program was established in May of 2000 in south Florida, where a rapidly growing population of over 6 million people live in close proximity to—and in dependence upon—the Florida Everglades. The program is based at Florida International University and includes senior scientists and students from over 30 institutions.

FCE research investigates the impact of human activities, sea level rise, natural disturbances, and their interactions on the ecosystem and population dynamics of south Florida. Research in the Everglades focuses on the estuarine ecotone where freshwater sloughs merge with mangrove forests.