2024 St. Johns River Report shows improvements and growing concern

The 2024 St. Johns River Report, jointly produced by an interdisciplinary team of scientists from University of North Florida (UNF), Jacksonville University (JU) and other universities, provides a comprehensive overview of the conditions in the Lower St. Johns River Basin and is updated annually to reflect positive and negative changes to this critical watershed.

The Jacksonville Environmental Symposium, organized by the City of Jacksonville's Environmental Protection Board and hosted by the UNF Institute of Environmental Research and Education, has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, at the UNF Adam W. Herbert University Center. The symposium annually brings together leading experts in the field to discuss the St. Johns River Report and to share ideas. The February symposium will focus on building a resilient Jacksonville.

"UNF is proud to partner with the City of Jacksonville to co-host the annual Jacksonville Environmental Symposium and collaborate with leading experts around the country to work towards environmental sustainability and resilience goals," said Dr. Erin Largo-Wight, UNF Institute of Environmental Research and Education director.

This year's River Report, funded by the Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board, highlighted both signs of progress and areas of growing concern. The research team observed that the St. Johns River's tributaries continue to suffer from severe pollution, notably high levels of fecal bacteria, phosphorous and other pollutants. Additionally, development continues to threaten the river's wetlands, and mitigation banks outpace more environmentally friendly alternatives like preservation, restoration, and enhancement. Rising salinity levels are impacting the river's ecology, particularly submerged aquatic vegetation, while the water column is contaminated by various pharmaceuticals.

"This report gives us a glimmer of hope amidst ongoing challenges," said Pinto. "We're pleased to see most fin fish and invertebrates are not in danger of overfishing, and dissolved oxygen in the mainstem remains satisfactory. Protected species continue to fare well. There has been some increase in wetlands on state-managed lands and a reduction in sanitary sewer overflow volume since last year, and we remain optimistic that the positive trajectory will continue."

From UNF, Dr. Christopher Baynard, associate professor of Geography and Geographic Information Systems, updated the historical background section (adding several new maps) and edited the report for the general public. Dr. Dale Casamatta, professor of Biology, edited and updated the chapter on algal blooms. Dr. Scott Jones, assistant professor of Biology, updated the chapters on nutrients and the tributaries, while Dr. Brian Zoellner, associate professor of Teaching, Learning & Curriculum, served as co-principal investigator, updated the chapter on materials for K-12 educators, and helped create presentations for secondary educators to teach their students about water quality, salinity, aquatic animals, invasive species and more. Dr. Charles Closmann, associate professor of History, created a new K-12 lesson plan on the history of the St. Johns River and helped update the report for the general public. UNF's Center for Instruction and Research Technology, especially Kayla Little, David Wilson and Mike Boyles, provided valuable web support. Former UNF Professor Dr. Radha Pyati, now chancellor and dean of Penn State Berks, wrote the executive summary of the report and the turbidity section.

To view the entire report, visit the 2024 State of the River Report website. For more information on the COJ-UNF Jacksonville Environmental Symposium, visit the Environmental Symposium website.