Despite these and the many other changes wrought by man. Southwest Flori- 

 da still has an abundance of valuable estuarine and marine resources. Because 

 of its productivity, estuaries have natural ecological characteristics and 

 resources that should respond well to habitat restoration measures currently 

 being developed in Florida. Some areas cannot be restored, such as some of 

 the large coastal suburban developments, but vigorous environmental planning 

 for new developments will provide new opportunity for habitat protection, 

 mitigation, or restoration. 



COASTAL RESOURCES 



Southwest Florida has some of the richest and most productive estuarine 

 and nearshore marine areas in the world. There are nine major estuaries 

 (Tampa Bay, Boca Ciega Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor, Pine Island Sound, 

 Estero Bay, Ten Thousand Islands, Whitewater Bay, and Florida Bay) and many 

 small tidal creeks, rivers, and lagoons, most of which are connected by the 

 Intracoastal Waterway. The coastal waters extend over a very broad continen- 

 tal shelf which increases as little as one foot in depth per mile seaward in 

 the more northern counties. Because of the shallow water and lower salini- 

 ties, the nearshore waters of the coast function almost like an estuary, which 

 add greatly to the productivity of the coastal waters, and help compensate 

 for some of the damage done to coastal wetlands and estuaries. 



The nearshore waters of Southwest Florida support extensive sport and 

 commercial fisheries according to Moe (1963). He divided the coastal area 

 into the upper west coast (characterized by a gentle gradient to the 50-fathom 

 contour almost 100 mi from the shore), the lower west coast (characterized 

 by a broad coastal shelf as deep as 100 fathoms from 117 to 150 mi offshore), 

 and the Florida Keys (characterized by a chain of islands composed of coral 

 rock). The coastal waters, characterized by rock outcroppings, ledges, 

 cliffs, gullies, and other perturbations on the bottom provide an abundance of 

 good sport and commercial fishing spots. 



COASTAL CURRENTS 



The prevailing oceanic currents of the Gulf of Mexico are complex and 

 help characterize the biology of Southwest Florida. Drift bottle data and 

 monitoring via satellite imagery are contributing to a better understanding of 

 the diverse factors influencing mass water transport in the region. These 

 methods for tracking currents show that coastal currents of Southwest Florida 

 are highly variable and depend on the pattern of Loop Current development 

 (intrusion, spreading, eddy formation, and drift), which is unpredictable and 

 affected by short-term weather variations and prevailing local winds (Williams 

 et al. 1977). Although unpredictable, the Loop Current, its eddies, wind 

 effects, and other variables closely link Florida's western shelf with other 

 coastal waters of the State. These currents have already been documented in 

 studies of the red tide (Steidinger 1981). 



With drift bottle and bloom transport verified, the possibility of even 

 more dangerous substances, both natural and manmade, being readily transported 

 from the lower west Florida coast to the Northwest coast or the east coast is 

 very strong depending on the condition of the surface current pattern and 

 structure at the time. 



194 



