CHRIS ZUPPA | Times
SP_632096_ZUPP_Springs_1 (Silver Glen Springs, 10/21/2012) Jenny Adler of Gainesville documents brown algae at the bottom of Silver Glen Springs in the Ocala National Forest. Experts cannot say for certain why algae is growing there, especially since Silver Glen is located miles from suburban development and farms, which contribute to nitrate pollution. Some fish eat the algae. But Adler, a marine biologist by training, believes that it is still a bad sign for things to come. "It just changes the whole ecosystem," she said. "The spring isn't going to be healthy or as pretty." The story is about how Florida's springs are in decline. Florida has more natural springs than anywhere else in the world. Under governors Charlie Crist and Jeb Bush, efforts were undertaken to study the springs to improve their quality. But under governor Rick Scott and a Republican-led legislature, springs research has been defunded, even though the issues are continuing to worsen. [CHRIS ZUPPA, Times]