Waterbirds as indicators of ecosystem health in the coastal marine habitats of Southern Florida: 2. Conceptual ecological models

• We previously identified 11 bird taxa affected by human pressures on Florida's coasts.
• Here, we link those species to habitats through the use of CEMs.
• These species are demonstrated to be representative of the health of those habitats.
• The CEMs are designed to assess the various habitats’ health by decision makers.
• We provide data availability, benchmarks, and scientific needs for each species.

In our companion manuscript we identified 11 waterbirds as indicators of various pressures on the coastal marine ecosystems of southern Florida. Here, we identify the habitats on which these species depend and the ecological linkages that make them representative of those habitats. Through the use of conceptual ecological models (CEMs), we develop tools that can be used by managers/decision makers to evaluate the health of the various habitats in order to rectify myriad problems that are occurring or will possibly occur in the future such that the valuable ecosystem services provided by these habitats can be maximized. We also demonstrate the practical use of these tools by documenting data availability, benchmarks, and scientific needs for each species.