MSA delivers the expertise of highly experienced environmental professionals to each of our clients. Our staff members have held positions within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Florida Water Management District, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida International University’s Southeast Environmental Research Center and the Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM). Our goal is to custom tailor our project approach and methodologies to best suit the needs of our clients.
Our work spans over multiple disciplines, including environmental and ecological research, permitting, management, mitigation and site development. The MSA team has work experience in a variety of South Florida Ecosystems, including:
- Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve
- Biscayne National Park
- Constructed Wetlands & STAs
- Everglades Agricultural Area
- Everglades National Park
- Everglades Protection Area
- Florida Bay
- Floridan Aquifer
- Lake Worth Lagoon
- Lake Okeechobee
- Miami River
- Nearshore Reefs of the Atlantic Ocean
- St. Lucie River & Estuary
- • Water Conservation Areas (1W, 2 and 3
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING
MSA has the ability to monitor environmental changes over short term or long term periods. Our Environmental Scientists and Marine Biologists have extensive hands on experience with multiple monitoring techniques:
- Marine Resource Monitoring – seagrass surveys, fish surveys, benthic resource inventories, beach renourishment and offshore pipeline investigations.
- Water Quality Monitoring – collection of surface water and groundwater samples using grab techniques, peristaltic pumps and automated samplers.
- Sediment Sampling – marine and wetland sediment collection using dredge and core sampling methods.
- Vegetation Surveys – native and exotic species data are used to generate vegetation maps, select vegetation management techniques, observe succession rates, and measure responses to environmental changes.
- Bird Surveys – produce population, behavioral and nesting bird data on local and migratory species.
- Trophic Analysis – characterize the abundance and distribution of fish and macro invertebrates, with regard to vegetation type, density, seasonality and water column depth.
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, & REPORTING
MSA has experience conducting experiments to support nutrient removal, wastewater reuse, and best management practice objectives. We can scale these experiments to the needs of our clients using bench scale applications, mesocosms, wetland test cells, flow ways and pilot plants. MSA can also supply clients with experimental operation plans, quality assurance protocols, data analysis, and reporting. MSA has performed these services for clients such as Everglades National Park and the South Florida Water Management District.
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SERVICES (GIS)
MSA provides services in GIS database construction, mapping and GPS, spatial analysis, and ground truthing. MSA has provided these geographic data services to riparian permitting projects and regional restoration projects. All projects stand to benefit from the application of GIS in the long run.
Our familiarity with numerous data categories gives MSA the edge on using GIS data effectively to support your project.
- Bathymetry
- Sediment chemistry
- Soils
- Biological data
- Vegetation
- Benthic resources
- Air Quality
- Hazardous, radioactive and toxic waste
- Parcel and zoning
- Hydrology
- Land use
- Cultural resources
- Recreational areas
- Topography
- Infrastructure and engineering
- Zoning
- Water use
- Soils
- Imagery
- Environmentally sensitive lands
ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING
MSA can organize all necessary data and information needed to apply for many types of Environmental Permits including:
- South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) – MSSW & ERP Permits
- US Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE) – 404 Permits
- Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) – Class I, II, III, IV, V, and VI Permits
- Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) – Railroad Crossing Permits
- Dade, Broward, Palm Beach Counties Septic Tank/Drain Field Permit
- On/Off Site PGD Approval
ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTATION
MSA can provide professional environmental documentation services in support of local, state, and federal projects and their permitting needs. We have a team of experienced professionals with essential knowledge of the following report formats:
- Project Implementation Reports (PIR)
- Environmental Assessments (EA)
- Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)
- Project Development and Environmental Studies (PD&E)
- Feasibility Studies