WEEKI WACHEE SPRING: Mermaids, an underwater theatre, river cruises and water slides make Weeki Wachee one of Floridas most entertaining spring destinations. For those looking for a more natural experience, the Weeki Wachee River offers a beautiful clear water run with swift waters and lots of wildlife. Canoes and kayaks can be rented and launched within the park. (FGS)

SILVER SPRINGS: Before Disney and other theme parks were built in Central Florida, Silver Springs was one of the most visited attractions in Florida. Glass-bottom boats allowed tourists to clearly view the underwater part of the river and springs without getting wet. Historic photos have documented the decline of water clarity in recent years due in large part to increased algal growth. (FGS)

RAINBOW SPRINGS: Countless small vents and bubbling sand boils make this one of the largest spring pools in Florida. Rainbow features an abundance of fish and other animals and has excellent visibility for snorkeling and scuba diving. Rainbow River is also a popular tubing and kayaking destination. (FGS)

SILVER GLEN SPRING: Located within Ocala National Forest along the western shore of Lake George, Silver Glen has a nice swimming area around the head spring. The spring run shows the scars of overuse where native subaquatic vegetation has been destroyed by the sheer numbers of human footsteps, boat anchors and other trampling which occurs during big summer weekends, as hundreds of pleasure boats anchor in the spring run. (FGS)

ALEXANDER SPRING: Located in Marion County within the Ocala National Forest, Alexander is considered by many to be a pristine spring, with very low pollutant levels. However, downstream from the vent, Alexander Run is choked with floating algal mats and benthic filamentous algae, which has crowded out aquatic grasses like Vallisneria and other important native plants (FGS)

BLUE SPRING: Volusia Blue is one of the largest, and deepest springs within the St. Johns River Basin. This spring is known today for the hundreds of West Indian Manatees that use the spring run as a thermal refuge during the winter months. (FGS)

HUNTER SPRING: Floating and submerged algae give this area around Hunter Spring (dark spot in the right center of the photo) a green hue. Algal growth has dominated much of Kings Bay in recent years. (FGS)

CHASSAHOWITZKA SPRINGS: This aerial photo of Crab Spring and creek, just downstream from Chassahowitzka Main Spring, shows native subaquatic vegetation, covered with a peculiar species of red-brown algae. The blue areas mark the spring vent locations. This algae species can be found at other coastal springs in the region, which all discharge ground water with high salt content. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is working to develop water quality restoration goals and actions to address algae at springs. (FGS)

Homosassa Springs from the air.