GIS and Remote Sensing in Hydrology, Water Resources and Environment (Proceedings of ICGRHWE held at the Three Gorges Dam, China, September 2003). IAHS Publ. 289, 2004, 328-335

1 School of Mathematical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia

2 National Biological Service, University of Miami, Florida, USA

3 All Elite Technology, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract With an area of 10 000 km², the greater Florida Everglades region (USA) covers freshwater and estuarine wetlands, and the Florida Bay. It provides habitats for 68 federally listed threatened or endangered species (Douglas, 1988). To preserve and enhance the ecological functions of the Everglades, the US federal and state governments have authorized funding to study and implement an ecological restoration plan known as CERP (Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan). Hydrology is a major driving force in the Everglades ecosystems. The fish community, acting as an intermediary between the lower producers and the higher consumers, is an important component of the Everglades ecosystem. Therefore, fish community ecology has become a core area of interest in modelling projects within CERP. This paper presents a brief overview of the effects of hydrological changes, seasonal temperature fluctuations, and toxicant PCBs on the fish community dynamics.

Key words Florida Everglades; hydrology; modelling fish ecology; PCBs; temperature