About the Everglades eco health report card

The System Status Report assesses progress of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). This report is the work of RECOVER (REstoration COordination and VERification), an interagency team that directs the extensive program of ecosystem research and monitoring that supports implementation of the CERP. The System Status Report provides a comprehensive assessment of the impact of a myriad of projects being implemented throughout south Florida under the CERP. However, a mechanism was needed to communicate key findings on the conditions in the ecosystem to upper level managers, policy makers, and the public. Therefore, an ecosystem health report card was developed in parallel with the 2019 System Status Report.

An ecosystem health report card assesses and synthesizes environmental data to evaluate overall ecosystem condition. Similar to school report cards, ecosystem health report cards use performance-driven metrics compared against a goal or ecologically relevant threshold. Report cards integrate large, complex datasets into an overarching score or grade that’s easily understood by the public. Report cards are an important component of conservation and restoration planning in South Florida, as they are designed to clearly communicate the status of ecosystem health of the Florida Everglades to a broad audience.