Eyes on Lake Annie

Almost one year ago, a group of diverse people came together to launch a shiny new data buoy into the middle of Archbold’s Lake Annie up on the Lake Wales Ridge. The bright yellow buoy bristles with scientific instruments to collect and transmit data every 15 minutes on Lake Annie’s waters and weather. Unlike the previous buoy, this is a profiling buoy with sensors moving up and down, collecting data from the surface to the bottom 67 feet below. March 31, 2022, was deployment day or D-Day. The sun rose through the surrounding Florida scrub and wetlands protected by Archbold. The wind stirred the pine treetops as morning traffic noise on Highway 70 blended into the aquatic soundscape. Our 6-minute video, Eyes on Lake Annie, tells the story of the events leading up to this momentous day. Meet Andri Laidri, CEO and engineer of FlyDog Marine, who traveled from Estonia to direct the launch of his first buoy in North America. Meet Dr. Evelyn Gaiser, Florida International University Aquatic Ecologist, who is determined to understand how lakes like Lake Annie function. Gaiser says, "Lakes are the best sentinels of changes on Earth. We just have to listen." Meet Dr. Amartya Saha, Archbold Ecohydrologist, who is bridging the gap between technology and the science of environmental monitoring. Behind the scenes, we see Dr. Hilary Swain, Archbold Executive Director, overseeing the new buoy launch, and Bert Crawford wading into the waist-high water to facilitate a successful launch alongside Kevin Main, Archbold Land Manager. Funded by the National Science Foundation, Jennifer Brown/Into Nature Films created this short film. Watch Eyes on Lake Annie.