The state of Florida is known to be one of the most biologically diverse states in the country. It is home to several different ecosystems including wetlands, estuaries, pinewoods, hammocks, and mangrove forests. The Outstanding Florida Waters (OFW) is an area designated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) which highlights exceptional ecological, recreational, and aesthetic value. Fort Myers is home to these ecosystems, which create an interlinked network of biodiversity and water quality protection. Florida’s outstanding waters and ecosystems work together to promote biodiversity, filter pollutants, a buffer against storms, and support ecological and community resilience.

Outstanding Florida Waters are specific rivers, lakes, wetlands, and coastal areas chosen by the FDEP because they have an exponential ecological value. These areas are protected to ensure that the current water quality cannot be degraded.  This means activities like construction, dredging, or discharges near OFWs need stricter review and permitting. Estero Bay Aquatic preserve, the first ever in Florida, and Big Cypress National preserve, which is a wetland system, are located right here in Fort Myers. This benefits the community and ecosystem by sustaining clean water, supporting tourism and fishing, and encouraging the ecosystem to grow in a healthy environment.

Additionally, the Pinewoods are a flat upland ecosystem with sandy, nutrient poor soil with a high-water table. It is dominated by fire-appointed pines like slash pines and long leaf pines, with an understory of saw palmetto, wiregrass, and native wildflowers. This ecosystem supports species like gopher tortoises, red cockaded woodpeckers, and Florida black bears. The natural fire cycles maintain biodiversity and prevent invasive dominance. However, the rapid construction development in Lee County and Fort Myers has led to the loss of some pinewood flats, and this dire suppression disrupts the natural burn cycles. Babcock Ranch Preserve and the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed “CREW” fight to restore natural waterflow, conduct prescribed burns, and protect large tracts of interlinks habitats.

Florida’s natural waters and habitats provide great economic value to Fort Myers and the Southwest Florida region. Healthy wetlands, estuaries, and coastal systems deliver essential ecosystem services such as water filtration, flood protection, and support for fisheries. Beyond economics, these landscapes hold cultural importance for indigenous people and local communities.

These ecosystems face mounting challenges from urban sprawls, nutrient pollution, altered waterflow, invasive species, and accelerating climate change. Adaptive management has become essential to protecting them. Fires help to restore pinewood flats, while mangrove replanting and shoreline stabilization safeguard costal zones. State and regional agencies such as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the south Florida water management district are coordinating watershed management initiatives that balance development with ecological protection.

Florida’s outstanding waters and interconnected ecosystems form the foundation of both environmental health and community resilience. Safeguarding the pinewood flats, hardwood hammocks, and mangrove forests ensures the continuation of the states’ biodiversity, water quality, and economic vitality. Ongoing conservation, restoration, and policy support are vital to sustaining southwest Florida’s natural heritage, protection of wildlife, and preservation of the environment balances Fort Myers’ quality of life and future stability.

References

Babcock Ranch Preserve. (n.d.). Land management and conservation practices. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. https://www.fdacs.gov/

Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW). (2024). Habitat restoration and hydrological management projects.South Florida Water Management District. https://www.sfwmd.gov/

Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve. (n.d.). Management plan and ecological overview. Florida Department of Environmental Protection. https://floridadep.gov/

Florida Department of Environmental Protection. (2024). Outstanding Florida Waters Program.https://floridadep.gov/dear/water-quality-standards/content/outstanding-florida-waters

Florida Natural Areas Inventory. (2023). Guide to the natural communities of Florida: Pine flatwoods, hammocks, and mangrove systems. Florida State University. https://www.fnai.org/

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. (n.d.). Habitat protection and species diversity. Lee County Parks and Recreation. https://www.leegov.com/parks

Southwest Florida Water Management District. (2023). Ecosystem management and restoration in Southwest Florida.https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (2022). Pine flatwoods and hammock habitat conservation in South Florida.https://www.fws.gov/

Wikipedia. (2025). Mangrove. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangrove

Wikipedia. (2025). Pine flatwoods. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_flatwoods

Written by Tyler Bruno and Preston Arndt