After Florida drained a wetland, biologists made a baffling discovery deep in the exposed muck. The massive project, designed to reshape the landscape, revealed something they never expected lurking beneath the surface.
A recent drawdown at Stormwater Treatment Area 1 West in South Florida gave biologists an unusually clear look at the ecological state of the wetlands. When water levels were lowered for routine maintenance, the exposed marsh revealed a larger presence of invasive fish than researchers had anticipated. Among the native largemouth bass and bluegill, teams found significant pockets of armored catfis…