The project is led by Ming Ye, a long-time FSU faculty member with a strong record in hydrogeology and computational modeling, known for interdisciplinary work and multiple honors.

Wakulla Springs serves as a critical groundwater exit point for the Floridan aquifer, supplying drinking water to nearly 10 million people, and its cave network spans about 25 miles.

Ye has been at FSU since 2007, with honors such as the DOE Early Career Award, the Huber Prize, and a Geological Society of America fellowship, underscoring the regional and national importance of mapping difficult-to-access cave systems.

Florida hosts the world’s highest concentration of springs (more than 1,000), making mapping and understanding these systems crucial amid concerns about falling water levels, decreasing flow, and deteriorating water quality.

In 2024 Wakulla Springs was designated an International Geological Heritage Site, underscoring its scientific and cultural significance.

FSU hydrogeologist Ming Ye has secured more than $2.5 million in Florida DEP funding to study groundwater sources in the Wakulla Springs basin and to map its underwater cave network.

The grant supports mapping Wakulla Springs basin and its underwater caves to improve understanding of Florida’s water supply.

The effort involves collaborations with the University of South Florida, Woodville Karst Plain Project cave diving team, and SunFish to train and deploy the UAV for cave mapping, enabling broader statewide application.

Ye’s project centers on studying groundwater in the Wakulla Springs basin, backed by a substantial state grant to map its submerged cave systems.

A Florida State University project will test water quality at spring sources and map cave systems using an Underwater Autonomous Vehicle guided by divers to understand cave geometry and collect water samples, linking geology and environmental factors to water quality and quantity.

Ye has built a notable career in hydrogeology and groundwater transport modeling, with affiliations at FSU’s EOAS and previously the Department of Scientific Computing, earning several awards.

Background: Wakulla’s basin is Florida’s largest, with extensive cave systems and a major role in regional groundwater and ecosystems.