Hardbottom Communities of Biscayne National Park
Cornett VC. 2002. Hardbottom Communities of Biscayne National Park. Biscayne National Park
The floral and faunal communities within the aquatic areas of Biscayne National Park display a zonation pattern that is said by some (Meeder, John F., Alvord, Jennifer, Byrne, Michael, Ross, MichaelS., and Renshaw, Amy 97; Kohout, F. A and Kolipinski, M. C. _67) to correlate with groundwater discharge into the Bay. The spatial pattern of benthic communities in the Park is described as shoal grass (Halodule wrightil) and bare mud bottom-dominant within 200 m of the coastline and turtle grass (Tha/assia testudinum) dominant 600 m from shore. The large area between these seagrassdominant zones is dominated by green algae, calcareous green algae, sponges, soft corals (octocorals) and some small hard corals ( 84). These organisms persist in areas where the substrate is exposed or slightly-covered (< 6 inches of sediment) bedrock, limestone, or fossil reef formation which gives the name "hardbottom community" to this type of habitat.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Cornett, Virginia
- Date of Issue
- 2002-05-14
- Publisher
- Biscayne National Park
- Units
- BISC
- Keywords
- aquatic organisms, Biscayne National Park, Ecology, Flora, fuana, hardbottom habitats. invertebrates, Limestone, sponges, zonation patterns