Hydro Highlight: Katherine Henning — Close to Home: Connecting Florida’s Springs and Fish Refuge
Growing up in Tallahassee, Florida, Katherine Henning could not be kept out of the water. She spent her time exploring the outdoors, collecting sea creatures, and immersing herself in the state’s coastal environments. Her family, supportive of her interest, sent Henning to a science camp at the Florida State University’s Coastal and Marine Laboratory in Panacea, Florida, when she was around ten years old. “That camp absolutely electrified me, and from then on I knew I wanted to become a marine biologist,” she recalls.
Henning’s interest continued to grow as she learned more about the world we live in and the different threats facing our natural systems. This interest sparked her research journey when she was an undergraduate at the Florida State University. In their Coastal and Marine Laboratory, Henning worked for Dr. Jeroen Ingels on a project utilizing marine invertebrate communities as ecological indicators to assess the health of the ecosystem. It was through this experience that Henning discovered she enjoyed community ecology, or exploring how species interact with each other and their surrounding environment, which ultimately led Henning to the next chapter of her research journey.
“I realized I didn’t just want to learn about marine ecosystems; I wanted to be part of protecting them.”
– Katherine Henning
Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences master’s student Carlos Alves Almeida (right) and Katherine Henning (left) holding a black drum they caught near the Cedar Key museum.
Current Research
Now a master’s student pursuing a degree in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences at the University of Florida, Henning continues her research under the guidance of Drs. Deb Murie and Robert Lamb while serving as a Graduate Research Assistant at the UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station. Her research focuses on community ecology in Florida’s small springs, particularly in the Suwannee River Estuary, and investigating how they may serve as thermal refuges for coastal fish. As extreme heat and cold events become more common, understanding areas where fish can escape stressful conditions is critical for protecting juvenile fish and maintaining biodiversity necessary for healthy estuarine systems.
“Springs link groundwater to surface waters,” she explains. “Even small ones can create unique microhabitats that support fish and other aquatic organisms.”
- Thermal Refuge: habitats that maintain a relatively constant temperature compared to the wider system and therefore can provide protection against extreme cold or heat events for marine organisms (e.g. manatees spending their winters in springs).
- Otolith: fish ear bones that record growth in rings to tell us their age (similar to tree rings).
To understand how Florida’s springs can serve as thermal refuges, Henning’s research includes several components. First, she uses aerial thermal imagery collected by the United States Geological Survey. This allows Henning to identify potential refuge sites, which are paired with non-refuge locations as a control. Then Henning goes to the sites for fieldwork. She and her team sample fish communities using seine nets, collect water samples, and track other environmental data such as tides, groundwater influence, and seasonal temperature changes.
The collected fish are identified at a species level, measured, and have their stomach contents analyzed to understand the interactions between the species and their environment. The different metrics are then compared at the potential thermal refuge and non-refuge locations across the summer and winter seasons. This community data is then combined with the water quality data, which is essential for understanding how groundwater changes the environmental conditions. Analyzing both types of data together helps Henning understand how groundwater, and thus the environmental conditions of the springs, influence fish survival, growth, and overall community structure.
“What fish are eating tells us how energy moves through these systems,” she says. “It helps us understand how habitat conditions shape entire communities.”
A) Katherine Henning (left) and UF Wildlife Ecology and Conservation student Maxwell Geller (right) seining near Cedar Key, Florida B) Juvenile common snook caught near Ceder Key, Florida C) Katherine Henning (right) and UF-wildlife ecology and conservation student Maxwell Geller (left) deploying a HOBO temperature logger in the Lower Suwannee River National Wildlife Refuge.
Why is This Important?
UF student Jallena Aliat (right) and Katherine Henning (left) on a field trip in the Lower Suwannee River National Wildlife Refuge.
Henning’s research has important implications for the future management of coastal ecosystems. Identifying the areas where fish take refuge from extreme heat and cold events is critical for understanding which habitats should be prioritized for protection, especially as the frequency of these extreme events increases. The thermal refuges are especially critical for juvenile fish because they are more vulnerable to environmental stress caused by these extreme events.
Henning also hopes her research will change how people view and value Florida’s springs. The springs are popular for recreational activities, but they are also habitats for a wide variety of animals, plants, and insect species. “These habitats are often appreciated for their beauty,” she says, “but they’re also essential for maintaining biodiversity and supporting fisheries. Protecting springs means protecting the ecosystems and communities that depend on them.”
Life in Gainesville
Researching at the University of Florida, Henning has found a campus that mirrors the landscape she grew up loving. The sense of connection extends beyond her research as many of the sites are places she explored before collecting data.
“Studying Florida’s springs and coastal ecosystems has been a really meaningful way to combine my love for the outdoors with research that can contribute to conservation and fisheries management,” she says.
Henning attended the 2026 Water Institute Symposium, and she was excited to leave her fisheries “bubble”. Henning has always enjoyed combining fieldwork with environmental data and mapping, and the symposium provided a means to zoom outside an aquatic organisms focus to learn more about hydrology, remote sensing/GIS, and the physical aspects of stream ecosystems from other members of the water science community.
“The Water Institute Symposium was a great opportunity to see what kinds of research are being conducted here… allowing me to explore interests that fall outside of my usual field of study.“
– Katherine Henning
This Hydro Highlight was created by the Water Institute Ambassadors Alexis Jackson and Lexi Bolger. Graduate students interested in being highlighted can fill out this survey to learn more.
March 24, 2026