Figure 20. Distribution of oyster bars and sediments in the Apalachicola estuary (data 

 from historic records, personal information from oyster dealers in Apalachicola, field 

 observations by F.S.U. field personnel, and records from the Florida Department of 

 Natural Resources) (Livingston 1980a). (This chart is currently being updated.) 



when a thermocline separates the cooler 

 bottom waters from the surface-waters. 



Organisms in near-shore areas are 

 part of a temperate sand community (Jones 

 et al. 1<573; Smith 1P74). The shallow 

 (10-20 m) shelf benthos reflects the 

 intrusion of tropical species in both 

 sandy areas and rocky outcrop substrates. 

 The northeastern gulf lies in the Carolina 

 Zoogeographic Region with a warm-temperate 

 fish fauna. Fish assemblages are 

 characterized by high endemism and hiqh 

 species diversity due, in part, to a 

 number of eurythermic tropical species. 

 The northeastern Florida gulf coast has a 

 relatively high fishery potential for 

 crustaceans and finfishes (Jones et al. 

 1973; Smith 1974). 



2.6. NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE 



APALACHICOLA DRAINAGE SYSTEM 



There are several natural attributes 

 of the Apalachicola drainage system that 

 make it unique among Florida and North 

 American river estuaries (Livingston and 

 Joyce 1977). The strategic placement of 



the drainage, together with the relatively 

 unspoiled natural comDonents--streams, 

 rivers, wetlands, estuary, offshore gul^-- 

 have combined to create the conditions for 

 speciose and unique assemblages of 

 terrestrial and aguatic organisms. In 

 many ways, the Apalachicola system is an 

 important dispersal route for temperate 

 species of plants and animals from the 

 high elevations of the southeastern United 

 States to the Gulf of Mexico. 



The following is an 

 summary of such attributes: 



abbreviated 



1. The Aoalachicola ranks as one of 



the great rivers of 

 is the largest river 

 Florida. It is the 

 to stretch from the 

 of Mexico. 



the United States and 

 (in terms of flow) in 

 only river in Florida 

 Piedmont to the Gulf 



2. The area of forested floodplain 

 is the greatest of all river systems in 

 Florida. The densely forested, bottom- 

 land hardwood wetlands of the Apalachicola 

 River have the highest litter-fall 

 production rates of the worldwide warm- 



26 



