Sensitive Blue Springs
Essay title: Sensitive Blue Springs
Thick clumps of green palmettos, countless palms, towering oaks, and other lush vegetation surround the peacefully flowing Blue Springs run that offers its visitors a truly natural taste of Florida. Upon closer inspection of the run itself, it appears to be home to many different beautiful and unique aquatic wildlife creatures. Indeed, an incredible diversity of life abounds within its waters. Extremely small fish swim beside other much larger fish, which all appear to live in harmony with the peaceful sea cows known as manatees. It is amazing how interrelated, connected, and dependent these creatures are to one another and to their natural environment. Blue Springs is a definite reminder of how sensitive nature really is.
The tiny mosquitofish and small killifish hover at the surface of the spring run feeding on algae and curiously poke at any object that looks like food floating their way. Though these minnow-like fish are at the bottom of the food chain they play a crucial role in the ecology of the run. These minute pot-bellied fish serve as a tasty