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USGS Fact Sheet 2004-3141
Published February 2005

Shells as Recorders of Environmental Change -- A Study in Florida Bay

By Robert G. Stamm and G. Lynn Wingard
Satellite image of southernmost Florida showing Whipray Bay

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  The South Florida region is currently undergoing a massive restoration effort guided by the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) written by a multi-agency group of Federal, State and local governments. One of the primary goals of the CERP is to restore the quantity, quality, and timing of freshwater delivery throughout South Florida to a more natural state. The natural flow of freshwater in the South Florida ecosystem was altered throughout the 20th century by the construction of a series of canals and water-control structures. These systems affected the estuaries of South Florida, including Florida Bay (located within Everglades National Park), by altering the natural seasonal mixing of fresh and saline waters. In addition, construction of the Flagler Railroad and, later, U.S. Highway 1 through the Florida Keys restricted the exchange of water between the Atlantic Ocean and Florida Bay. In order to establish realistic goals and performance measures for restoration, it is essential to first determine how the natural system functioned prior to significant human alteration. The goal of this research is to develop a method to identify historical patterns of salinity change throughout the bay, perhaps at the seasonal scale, from the remains of animals preserved in shallow-water sediment cores.
 
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