WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WCTV) – A project using underwater technology is helping scientists map the Wakulla Springs’ vast cave system.
Florida State University faculty, scientists and representatives from the Florida Legislature held an expo to share information about the Wakulla Springs mapping project.
A yellow and orange piece of equipment, the Sunfish robot, is an autonomous underwater vehicle or, AUV, that is helping scientists take 3D maps of the Wakulla Springs cave system paths that are too narrow or dangerous for people to reach.
Researchers share information about Wakulla Springs mapping project(Annalise Iraola/WCTV)
The project is supported by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and led by FSU faculty like Ming Ye, a professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science.
“Always a mystery for the cave we have. We don’t know what they look like, how big it is, and how water flows, and what about water quality,” Ye said. “There are a lot of big unknowns, so hopefully, the new technology can bring new data and explore a new frontier for the subsurface.”
More news out of the Big Bend:
Wakulla Springs is one of the deepest and largest springs in the world. As part of the Florida Aquifer, it provides drinking water to millions of people.
This project aims to help scientists create the most detailed map of the Wakulla Springs cave system and gather data about water flow and quality.
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