florida state university researchers are diving into new efforts to protect north florida’s cherished natural springs.

research to restore and protect the health and clarity of natural springs, especially wakulla springs, is being conducted by joel trexler, the director of fsu’s coastal and marine laboratory, and kellie keys, a professor in the communications department.

“our research in the larger sense is to try to advance our understanding of [the] influence of people on water coming into the spring and out [of] the spring vent, how that impacts the ecological side of the wakulla river,” trexler said when discussing leading a team of fsu researchers. “particularly, [our research addresses] a sense that the system has changed in ways that are not desirable.”

the health of the springs is vital because it also indicates the health of drinking water. the water in the springs is also the water in the floridan aquifer, which provides drinking water to approximately 10 million people.

“when we protect the springs, we protect our drinking water, and we protect our drinking water, we protect the springs, because they’re coming from the same place,” keys said.

about 90% of floridians rely on groundwater for drinking water, and the cleanliness of springs gives a glimpse into its cleanliness, too.

the communication component of the research is crucial. it is one thing to have facts, but to make people aware of an issue and to care about it is another challenge.

“we’re also doing communication research, different from the scientific research,” keys said. “within that communication research, we’re looking at environmental values and how communicating using different values might have an effect on the way that people take in the information.”

the environmental communication research keys is conducting was presented at the science and environmental communication section (sec) of the environmental communication research and education association (ecrea) on oct. 21 in norway. 

“they were really interested in hearing about our work with the wakulla springs lab, because we’re doing environmental communication in the southern united states, and that’s quite a different landscape, and the way things are communicated here are communicated quite different than in europe,” keys said.

“that water is both where the springs emerge from, but it’s also where we put our wells in for all the water we use,” keys said. “if you picture, we have a bunch of straws in the aquifer all over the place drawing up that water, and it’s like everything we use.”

wakulla springs is a popular tourist attraction and local favorite for swimming, boat tours, hiking, and wildlife viewing. it is a place where many fsu students go to get away from the hustle and bustle of their everyday lives.

many floridians are directly connected to the water that flows through wakulla springs, yet many aren’t aware of it. this is where keys says the communication side of the research becomes essential: it helps the public understand that protecting the springs also means protecting their own water supply.

by translating complex scientific data into clear, accessible formats that align with people’s values, the team at the wakulla springs lab hopes to continue to improve the health of the springs and, in turn, the water supply.

“people may not contribute to conservation or sustainable practices because they do not know enough about the issue or how to solve it on a small scale,” adeline kulaga, a graduate student who works with keys, said to the fsview. “this is why communication channels of researchers to the general public must be informational, efficient, trustworthy, and developed. if people have access to scientific findings that are presented in an easily digestible manner, they can be up to date on the current issues and feel like their actions have an impact.”