Relationship of Sedimentary Sulfur, Iron and Phosphorus Cycling to Water Quality in Florida Bay: How Seagrass Die-offs Contribute to Algal Blooms
Chambers R and Fourqurean J. 2000. Relationship of Sedimentary Sulfur, Iron and Phosphorus Cycling to Water Quality in Florida Bay: How Seagrass Die-offs Contribute to Algal Blooms. Critical Ecosystems Studies Initiative. RES97-12. Everglades National Park/South Florida Natural Resources Center
Final Report. Florida Bay has been dubbed a "nationally significant estuary", thanks to the myriad ecological, economic and recreational opportunities it sustains. The dense beds of seagrass that grow along the bottom of the shallow bay play an important role in maintaining the exceptionally high quality of water in which numerous coastal species historically thrived. The past two decades have seen pronounced changes in the bay, including widespread seagrass die-offs and seasonally common algal blooms. This CESI-funded investigation examines how biogeochemical processes involving iron, sulfur and phosphorus affect the growth of both algae and seagrasses. Results suggest that period disturbances, such as those observed over the past twenty years, may be a natural occurrence in the history of the bay. Chambers, Randolph M. and James W. Fourqurean. 2000. Relationship of sedimentary, sulfur, iron, and phosphorus cycling to water quality in Florida Bay: How seagrass die-offs contribute to algal blooms: Research 1997-1999. Final Report submitted to the Critical Ecosystems Studies Initiative. NPS Cooperative Agreement with Fairfield University. Everglades National Park, Homestead, Florida.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Chambers, Randolph; Fourqurean, James
- Date of Issue
- 2000
- Units
- EVER
- Keywords
- Biogeochemistry, CESI, enrichment, everglades, Florida Bay, Iron, Phosphorus, Research, Seagrass, Sediments, Sulfur, Water Quality
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Landscapes | Nutrient Dynamics | Nutrient Dynamics