The major seagrasses found in Biscayne Bay are Thalassia testudinum turtle grass , Halodule wrightii Cuban shoal grass , and Syringodium filiforme manatee grass.
These plants function as a food source, provide shelter and protection, stabilize sediments, and act as a chemical sink. There is a progression of these seagrasses with distance from shore in non-disturbed areas of Biscayne Bay.
There is a band of Halodule intertidally and a band of Thalassia sublittoral interspersed with Halodule and Syringodium, thinning out into green alga and a sand bottom towards mid-Bay. Seagrasses in the northern part of the Bay have been heavily impacted and normal communities are not observed north of the Port of Miami. Efforts to mitigate seagrass beds have met with mixed results.
The effect of the thermal effluent released by the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant on Thalassia beds has been studied extensively. Environmental stress caused by temperature or salinity changes may make Thalassia more susceptible to disease.
An increasing problem in Biscayne Bay is the scarring of seagrass beds caused by boat propellers. Grounding and prop scars in Biscayne Bay near South Beach. The most common mangrove species in the Biscayne Bay area are the red mangrove Rhizophora mangle ; the black mangrove Avicennia germinans ; the white mangrove Laguncularia racemosa ; and the buttonwood Conocarpus erectus.
The red mangrove, with its thick mass of prop roots, is particularly well established in the substrate, and only the most violent of hurricanes can disturb it. It forms a protective barrier along the coast, behind which the other mangroves and associated flora take root.
Accumulation of sand, leaves, and debris in the mangrove forest eventually raises soil levels. The result is a gradual land building and seaward extension of the coastline. Ninety-five percent of the annual mangrove leaf production eventually enters the aquatic system as detritus, which is the basis of the estuarine food chain.
A number of commercially valuable species rely on the mangrove swamp as a nursery and feeding ground. The Coastal Band of mature mangroves along the shore is the most productive, and the dwarfed Sparse Scrub the least. During the last few years, mangrove die-offs have been observed, first in black mangroves and currently in red mangroves at lower elevations. There is a rough correlation with seagrass die-offs suggesting possible correlation to high salinities.
Changes in precipitation and runoff are the most important factors concerning mangrove survival. In addition to changes in mangrove ecosystems due to climatic factors, mangrove forests along the shores of Biscayne Bay were destroyed beginning in the s as the result of urbanization, including the construction of the drainage canal system, which altered the hydrology of the Bay area.
Up until the s, the Biscayne Bay sponge fishery was one of the most valuable fisheries in Florida. A combination of disease, heavy harvesting, and the introduction of synthetic sponges has reduced the industry to a small fraction of its former importance. Currently, highest sponge densities occur in Biscayne Bay in hard bottom areas with moderate currents, constant salinity, low sedimentation, shallow, coarse sediments and sparse vegetation.
The highest densities are in a north-south cluster in Central Bay. Biscayne Bay was closed to commercial sponging in Biscayne Bay to is an important refuge for juvenile spiny lobster Panulirus argus and a large portion of the Bay is designated as a Lobster Sanctuary. Many species of birds are found in Biscayne Bay, some are permanent residents while others use the Bay as a resting area during migration.
The population represents a large part of the breeding individuals in the US. Nesting sites in Miami Beach and the upper Florida Keys have been lost to development, although the loss has been compensated by the creation of artificial nesting sites on spoil banks along the cooling canals of southern Biscayne Bay. The Florida, or West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus latirostris is regarded as a regional subspecies.
Manatees are herbivores, feeding on aquatic plants, and they require freshwater sources, proximity to channels 3 to 8 feet deep, and access to warm water during the winter. Manatees are found along most of the coast of Florida. During the winter, they migrate to warmer waters and are known to congregate in natural or industrial warm water sources. By , the State of Florida passed laws prohibiting the capture or killing of a manatee without a permit.
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Last updated: July 1, Things to Do. What's New?! Others maintain that the bay got its name because of a s wreck in the bay of a ship owned by a man called El Biscaino. Another theory holds that the bay was so named after Don Pedro el Biscaino, who lived on one of the islands in the bay and had been the Keeper of the Swans at the Spanish court.
Still others believe that the bay was named for Viscaino, who is said to have been a wealthy merchant in Manila. Not only is it a source for food, transportation, and commerce, it also offers boundless opportunities for recreation, education, and spiritual nourishment to those who visit and live near it.
Biscayne Bay is the largest estuary on the coast of southeast Florida and is contiguous with the southern Florida Everglades and Florida Bay.
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