1 2 3 4 3 



Figure 25. Sectional profile through Florida Bay, Flamingo, Whitewater Bay, 

 and the Everglades (adapted from Spackman et al. 1964). 



For a detailed account of re- 

 cent sedimentary sequences and a 

 general historical picture of the 

 fresh to saltwater transition zones 

 of the southwest coast during the 

 Holocene, the reader should consult 

 Smith (1968) and Cohen (1968). 

 These authors outline the sedimen- 

 tary patterns of marl and peat along 

 the lower Everglades from Flamingo 

 and Cape Sable to just north of 

 Lostman's River. 



4.42 TAYLOR SLOUGH AND 

 FLORIDA BAY 



The most extensive work on the 

 distribution, origin, and strati- 

 graphic relationships of Holocene 

 sediments in the southern Everglades 

 (particularly Taylor Slough) is 

 presented by Gleason (1972), and 

 summarized by Gleason et al. (1974). 

 Representative cores of six distinct 

 stratigraphic groups and a map of 

 their distribution in Taylor Slough 

 appear in Figure 26. 



Group A, located in the deep- 

 est central portion of the slough, 

 is composed exclusively of peat. 

 Alternating layers of water lily 

 ( Nymphaea odorata ) and sawgrass 

 peats reflect changes in the surface 

 environment due to climatic and sea 

 level fluctuations. Gleason et al. 

 (1974) believe the entire central 

 depression of Taylor Slough is prob- 

 ably underlain by this continuous 

 peat substrate down to the oolitic 

 bedrock. The alternating but con- 

 tinuous record of peat suggests that 

 this portion of the slough has 

 always been wet, variations have 

 occurred in mean depth and hydro- 

 period due to Holocene climatic 

 fluctuations. 



Group B, located on both the 

 western and eastern margins of the 

 slough, is composed entirely of 

 calcite. The calcite is produced 

 through the action of the blue green 

 algal mat that extends over much of 

 the exposed limestone and is common 



61 



