Table 21. Excerpts of the anecdotal and historical chronology of events that affected the marine 
environment of the Florida Keys from 1714 to the present prepared by The Nature Conservancy 
(text as found in draft document except for minor editing) [DeMaria (in press)] (cont.). 
Year(s) 
Event 
1988 or 1989 
1 989 
1989*1990 
1990 
1990 or 1991 
1990-1993 
1991 
Big freeze in Southern Florida. 
Coral bleaching observed on the shallow water coral heads off of Key West. 
Begin seeing a change in the visibility in the water along the shoreline at Long 
Key Lab (bayside). 
Macroalgae bloom covered the patch reefs in Hawk's channel out to Tortugas 
Hump. 
Water restrictions placed on South Florida residents due to drought. 
East Everglades Land is added to the Everglades National Park. 
February, sewage treatment plant built in Key West. Secondary treated sewage 
goes to the ocean via the old outfall pipe. 
Summer, minor coral bleaching event, mainly hits lettuce coral in the Keys, 
Puerto Rico, and Lee Stocking Island Bahamas. The mangroves and adjacent 
shallow areas off Key West stop 'growing' and erosion from boat wakes 
become more obvious. 
Sea lice ("bathers itch") noticed off key West and the lower Keys. 
December, hard freeze in South Florida. 
Winter, big freeze kills many mangroves in the northeast Florida Bay area that 
were already stressed due to dry weather conditions. 
Low rainfall years (drought), high temperatures and hot water temperatures 
(large amount of hot water) in the Caribbean (Cuba area to the Gulf of Mexico). 
Crawfish catch in western Florida Bay declines. 
February, very low tides. 
High salinity levels are recorded in Florida Bay. 
The decline in water clarity and quality become really noticeable on the reef off 
Key West. 
In July and August, significant coral bleaching in the Keys. 65% of the fire 
coral dies. 
Hot water temperatures recorded. Coral bleaching not confined to the reef, also 
hits the patch reefs and inshore corals. 
Algae bloom observed at Cotton Key near Islamorada. 
Very fine brown/green algae bloom observed off Long Key Lab in the water 
column. 
Summer, between Man of War Harbor and Pearl Basin, north of Key West, the 
gorgonians, seafans and conchs disappear from the area. 
Green filamentous algae bloom at the Rockpile, north of Big Pine Key, starts 
becoming really bad. 
The shallow patch reefs near the small islands west of Key West have become 
undiveable due to poor water clarity. 
Chekika land is added to the Everglades National Park. 
January, "pea green' algae bloom in Florida Bay first noted by a scientist. 
Others notice bloom at Sandy Key basin and Sandy Key Bank. 
Some turtle grass starts to recover in the 'lost' areas of Florida Bay only to 
die off again. 
Diadema dieoff at Vestal Shoals, off Key West. 
South Florida Water Management District increases fresh water flow into 
Taylor Slough during April and May. 
93 
