When I was a kid (way back in the late ’70s and early ‘80s) I spent most of my free time fishing in the salt, fresh, and brackish waters of South Florida. I can remember catching sea trout in the intracoastal waterway, juvenile snook and tarpon in canals so small you could jump over them, and dip netting shrimp during full moons in the local inlets. Unfortunately, these are all things of the past. So what happened?

There is a laundry list of reasons the fishing isn’t what it used to be and of course population growth is at the top of the list, but I would argue that the thread that connects all of these anecdotes is the health of the estuary system. Many of those small mangrove-lined canals I used to hop over have been filled in for development or widened and lined with concrete seawalls. The seagrass that supported the shrimp fishery has been killed off by intermittent releases of freshwater and irresponsible dredging. In short, both habitat and water quality so essential to these species have been drastically altered in the past several decades.

To understand where we went wrong and what we can do to make things right, we must first acknowledge the estuary system itself. In an area like South Florida where there is a mingling of natural river systems and man-made canals, almost all of which are now lined with concrete seawalls, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that this is one big estuary. Only a few parks and protected areas with their bright green mangroves remind us that these waterways are not just places for pricey houses and fancy boats but are in fact part of a vital ecotone that serves as a nursery for many of our fish and supports a rookery for our wading birds. Once we recognize this we can start to see the importance of the entire inland waterway system. But it’s not only the things we can see like the mangroves or the oyster and seagrass beds, it’s also the salinity level in the water that makes for a healthy estuary system. When we discharge large bursts of freshwater from our inland canals, or when we impede the natural flow of our rivers, we can do irreparable damage to the plant and animal life that rely on a constant brackish mixture.

Fortunately, when we realize our mistakes and give nature a helping hand, it shows us time and time again its amazing ability to bounce back. We can create spoil islands where mangroves will take root. We can section off shallow areas as no motor zones and plant seagrass beds. We can do a better job with the release of our freshwater. At the individual level, we can volunteer our time to work with organizations doing restoration projects. We can refrain from spraying chemical fertilizers and pesticides in our yards that might wash down a storm drain and into the waterways. We can pick up the trash we see as we enjoy an outing on the boat or to the beach. Every little bit helps. By honoring the importance of the estuary system and doing what we can to protect it, we will ensure that future generations will enjoy all that it has to offer.