What happened to the Florida Sinkhole Research Institute (FSRI)?
The Florida legislature discontinued FSRIs funding in the early 1990s, and its database was transferred to the Florida Geological Survey(FGS). A brief history is outlined below. Since its inception in 1907, the Florida Geological Survey has gathered data on Florida karst (sinkholes, caves, springs, etc.) This information is primarily used to more fully understand the unique relationship between karst and the states groundwater resources and aquifer systems. In 1982, the Florida Sinkhole Research Institute was created at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. At that time all FGS sinkhole data files were transferred to the FSRI. One of their programs was to compile and tabulate this information and convert it to a computer database. When the Florida legislature discontinued FSRIs funding in the early 1990s, the FSRI nearly ceased operations entirely. After that the database was returned to the FGS and reformatted. Selected portions of the reformatted data were published in 1994 a
