Natural and Anthropogenic Events Impacting Florida Bay 
1910 - 1994 Time Line 
A. Y. Cantillo, L. Pikula, J. Beattie, A E. Collins, A K. Hale,^ and T. Schmidt,"^ 
NOAA/NOS/ORCA 
Coastal Monitoring and Bioeffects Assessments Division 
Silver Spring, MD 
ABSTRACT 
Florida Bay is a coastal lagoon, on average less than 3 m deep, approximately 1,000 
square miles in area, located between the South Florida mainland and the Florida Keys. 
In recent years, adverse environmental changes have been noted in the Bay. Currently, 
a multi-agency multi-year effort is underway to restore the ecosystem of South 
Florida, including that of Florida Bay. To assist in determining the Bay's former 
condition and to catalogue changes, events that may have affected or have occurred in 
the Bay are described, listed and graphically displayed in a common time scale. The 
time coverage begins in 1910 with construction activities along the Florida Keys, and in 
what later became the Everglades National Park. Included are global scale atmospheric, 
geological and astronomical phenomena such as El Nino events, volcanic eruptions and 
solar activity that may affect local weather. On local scales, documented are: dieoffs 
of species such as seagrasses, sponges and fishes; environmental occurrences of algal 
blooms, coral reef degradation, fishery catch changes and soil subsidence; and human 
activities such as population increases, and construction. Awareness of the 
environmental importance of the Bay is documented in legislation affecting 
environmental regulations nationwide and in the Bay area; and environmental programs 
and studies performed currently and in the past by Federal, state, municipal, academic 
and civic organizations. 
1. INTRODUCTION 
During the past decades, Florida Bay has undergone significant environmental changes. Seagrass 
dieoffs, algal blooms, shifts in biodiversity, fauna and flora population changes, and other 
phenomena are being observed with increasing frequency. In an effort to determine the Bay's 
environmental condition prior to the changes currently observed and to catalogue these 
changes, events that may have affected or have occurred in the Bay and surrounding areas 
have been compiled. Included are global scale atmospheric, geological and astronomical 
phenomena, such as El Nino events, volcanic eruptions and solar activity that may affect local 
weather. On local scales, documented are: dieoffs of species such as seagrasses, sponges and 
fishes; environmental occurrences of algal blooms, coral reef degradation, fishery catch 
changes and soil subsidence; and human activities such as population increases, and 
construction. Awareness of the environmental importance of the Bay is documented in 
NOAA/Miami Regional Library, Miami, FL. 
A NOAA/Central Regional Library, Silver Spring, MD. 
^ Rosensliel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL. 
^ Everglades National Park Research Center, 40001 State Rd 9336, Homestead, FL. 
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