PREFACE 



This profile of the mangrove commun- 

 ity of south Florida is one in a series 

 of community profiles which treat coastal 

 and marine habitats important to man. The 

 obvious work that mangrove communities do 

 for man includes the stabilization and 

 protection of shorelines; the creation and 

 maintenance of habitat for a great number 

 of animals, many of which are either 

 endangered or have commercial value; and 

 the provision of the basis of 

 whose final products include 

 smorgasbord of oysters, crabs, 

 shrimp, and fish. Less 

 equally important benefits 



a food web 

 a seafood 

 lobsters , 

 tangible but 

 include wilder- 



ness, aesthetic 

 ations . 



and life support consider- 



and Tarpon Springs on the west. Refer- 

 ences are provided for those seeking 

 in-depth treatment of a specific facet of 

 mangrove ecology. The format, style, and 

 level of presentation make this synthesis 

 report adaptable to a diversity of needs 

 such as the preparation of environmental 

 assessment reports, supplementary reading 

 in marine science courses, and the devel- 

 opment of a sense of the importance of 

 this resource to those citizens who 

 control its fate. 



Any questions 

 requests for this 

 directed to: 



or comments about or 

 publication should be 



The information on these pages can 

 give a basic understanding of the mangrove 

 community and its role in the regional 

 ecosystem of south Florida. The primary 

 geographic area covered lies along the 

 coast between Cape Canaveral on the east 



Information Transfer Specialist 

 National Coastal Ecosystems Team 

 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

 NASA-SI i del 1 Computer Complex 

 1010 Gause Boulevard 

 Slidell, Louisiana 70458 



m 



