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Florida Bay now receives less than 50% of the fresh water it needs to maintain its massive seagrass beds, which are the key to the entire ecosystem.
The health of fisheries and bird life depends on enough fresh water to stave off hypersalinity in the bay.
Florida Bay is the final destination for much of the fresh water that flows through the Everglades watershed. The bay features 10% of the world's seagrasses, on which the entire ecosystem is dependent, serving as habitat for many juvenile fishes and other species. Because the bay is so shallow and is made up of protected basins, evaporation increases the salinity of the water, so a steady supply of fresh water is required to maintain salinity levels. Today, Florida Bay receives just 25-50% of the fresh water it benefited from “pre-drainage”. During periods of hypersalinity—usually caused by drought—the seagrasses begin to die off, which begins a vicious cycle: decomposing grass releases nutrients that lead to algal blooms. The algae colors the water, reducing the amount of light reaching the bottom, retarding the growth of baby grasses. Without grass, there’s more suspended sediment, creating even worse light conditions to grow grass.
In 1987, a series of droughts created a massive seagrass die-off, in which the bay lost 20,000 football fields of grass. Another huge die-off in 2015 killed 20% of the grass. With each die-off, the health of the ecosystem is left even more fragile, so Florida Bay is always one drought away from devastation. However, recent hurricanes—Irma in 2017 and Ella in 2020—have shown that the bay responds positively to big influxes of fresh water. After Ella, fish spawned in record numbers and wading birds had the largest nesting effort in the past 30 years, featuring 120,000 mating pairs. If Everglades restoration can send more fresh water through the Everglades to the bay, the ecosystem can continue to recover.
...and what is at stake of being lost.
Can You Spot Me?
Common in the coastal waters of the southern US, specifically along sandy bottoms and seagrass beds, the spotted seatrout, also known as the speckled trout, is characterized by its dark gray or green back, white belly, black spots, and a pair of prominent canine teeth on its upper jaw. Despite its name, the spotted seatrout is not a trout at all, but rather a member of the drum family. This popular game fish can grow as large as 39 inches and feeds primarily on baitfish, mullet, shrimp, and crabs.
Florida’s Front Lawn
Encompassing over 2 million acres along Florida’s shallow coastal regions (primarily in Florida Bay, Tarpon Springs, and Apalachee Bay), seagrass is vital to the health of the marine ecosystem. The largest of Florida’s seagrasses, turtle grass forms extensive beds in Florida Bay, where its ribbon-like leaves can grow up to 14 inches in length. Seagrass helps maintain water clarity, stabilizes the seabed, provides shelter for fish and crustaceans, and is a food source for numerous marine animals and water birds.
No, I’m Not an Alligator
At first glance, you may think you’re looking at an alligator, but zoom in (from a distance) and the differences become clear. The reclusive crocodile, with its grayish-green skin, narrow tapered snout, and protruding fourth tooth on its lower jaw, inhabits Florida’s coastal regions, preferring brackish or saltwater areas. As an apex predator, the American crocodile has no natural predators, thus whatever it encounters on land or in water can be considered prey. No longer classified as endangered, the American crocodile’s current status is considered “threatened” due mainly to illegal hunting and habitat destruction.
Healthy seagrass supports fish populations, which provide food for ospreys.
The headwaters of the Everglades watershed is a slow, meandering, cypress-lined creek just outside the city of Orlando.
The restoration of 40 miles of river and floodplain is proof that these massive projects can be completed and show immediate results.
This is where the southward flow of water was interrupted. The reservoir will clean and store fresh water before it is sent south.
The road bed for Highway 41 effectively dammed the shallow “sheet flow” of water from the north, but two new bridges have restored the flow.
The major outlet for fresh water from the Everglades, Shark River features the region’s tallest and most productive red-mangrove forests.
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