The Role of Climate in the Florida Bay Seagrass Dieoff
Zieman JC, Davis R, Fourqurean JW. 1992. The Role of Climate in the Florida Bay Seagrass Dieoff. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. 73(2):398
Since the fall of 1987, Florida Bay has experienced a major die-off of seagrasses and benthic macrophytes totaling tens of thousands of hectares. Although dieoff of Thalassia continues at a reduced rate, colonization and growth of the colonizer Halodule is widespread. Anomalies in the recent climate record may have played a significant part in the dieoff. Retrospective analysis of earlier data coupled with current studies show a large increase in seagrass biomass prior to the dieoff and a decline in turnover rate or specific plant productivity during the dieoff. External stress continues in the form of hypersaline conditions (maximum salinities > 70, max. yearly station averages >50 ppt), which are partly anthropogenically derived. Climatic stresses are 1) excessively warm waters in the late summer and fall of 1986-88, and 90, and 2) a reduction of historic tropical storm frequency and intensity. Increased temperatures and decreased day length in the fall negatively impact seagrass P/R. Historical and anecdotal evidence suggests a continuing shift over the past decades from a mixed habitat to an increasingly monospecific Thalassia community. Post-dieoff recolonization processess are establishing a more diverse mixture of habitats with the potential of enhanced secondary productivity.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Zieman, Joseph; Davis, R; Fourqurean, James
- Units
- EVER
- Keywords
- Climate, Everglades National Park, FL, Florida Bay, Impacts, Mortality, Plant Studies, Seagrasses