The Ecology of Northern Florida Bay and Adjacent Estuaries

Tabb, Durbin; Dubrow, David; Manning, Raymond

This report presents the results of hydrographic studies (Part I) and the results of biological studies (Part II) conducted in northern Florida Bay and adjacent areas of Everglades National Park from July 1957 through May 1962. This area was selected for study because it represents an estuary largely protected from man's activities. Results will be used to better understand animal and plant distributions under naturally fluctuating environmental conditions, thereby assisting the evaluation of reclamation projects on the biota of similar regions along the Florida seacoast and elsewhere. It was found that Florida Bay was characterized by high turbidity, shallow waters, and dominant cover (Thalassia). Flora and fauna of the offshore regions were related to the major substratum types. A large influx of fishes and invertebrates into the study area in the late fall, corresponding to lower salinities, was noted. An assessment of bottom sediments provided an estimate of the character of the bottom as a substratum for benthic organisms and gave an indication of the nature of deposition of the various sediment size fractions in relation to currents, wind transport, and fresh water source. Study Period: Approximately 4 years; Study Type: Qualitative; Habitat: Offshore (basins, banks, channels), inshore (bays, rivers, channels); Gear Type: Otter trawl, bottom grab, fish toxicants, night-light dipnetting, nets (channel, push, seines); Number of Stations: 40; Number of Replicates/Station: 1; Temporal Frequency: Monthly; Abiotic Parameters Measured: Salinity, temperature, DO, pH, tides, transpiration, winds, water clarity; Dominant Taxon/Taxa Studied: Thalassia, Chara, Halodule, Anomlocardia, Macoma, Brachiodontes, Cerithium, Periclimenes, Penaeus, Echinaster, Ophiophragmus, Anchoa spp., Lagodon, Bairdiella.