understood. This information could eventually aid in interpreting changes in populations 
due to man-made alterations in shallow water. 
1957 - 1962 
Tabb, D. C., D. L. Dubrow, and R. B. Manning (1962) The ecology of northern Florida Bay 
and adjacent estuaries. State of Florida Board of Conservation Tech. Ser. 39. Institute of 
Marine Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL. 79 pp. 
This paper discusses some aspects of the ecosystem of Whitewater, Coot and Florida 
Bays. The sampling stations in Florida Bay were located from Cape Sable to Flamingo. 
Sampling occurred from 1957 to 1960. Winds of the Cape Sable region blow mainly 
from the east and southeast in summer and from the north-to-northwest in winter, 
with some influence being exerted by the easterly trade winds of winter which 
moderate the effects of polar air masses. Winds are the major factor in water 
circulation in Florida Bay. Tides generated by winds often exceed those due to lunar 
influence. Wind-generated turbulence is the major cause of the normally high rates of 
calcium carbonate mud turbidities in Florida Bay. Winds blowing across Florida Bay aid 
in evaporation. This has been shown to average more than 0.3 in day' 1 in evaporating 
pans during the period March through July, 1961. Lunar tides in the estuarine portions 
of the study area and the nearby Gulf of Mexico are the mixed semi-daily type. At the 
end of the normal rainy season, June through November, there is marked decrease in 
air and water temperature. Just prior to that time, organic decomposition reaches a 
peak, causing a corresponding low dissolved oxygen content in the swamps and lagoons. 
This oxygen deficiency drives fish and invertebrates from the affected areas. This has 
been called the "bad water* period by commercial fishermen who often made good 
catches at that time. These oxygen deficiencies generally last about one month. Salinity 
values within the area fluctuate with rainfall and runoff from the watershed. No clearly 
defined relationship can be observed between salinity and local precipitation. In Florida 
Bay east of Flamingo were tidal circulation is absent or negligible, evaporation was 
nearly was important in salinity variations as runoff. The waters of the survey area 
generally show saturation of dissolved oxygen during the daylight hours and slightly 
below saturation at night. Highest oxygen values occur in areas of greatest plant 
growth, with Florida Bay turtle grass beds and the algae beds of Whitewater Bay being 
most productive. Lowest oxygen concentrations were always found in Coot Bay and 
eastern Whitewater Bay during the late summer and fall when runoff was highest and 
when plant cover was least dense. During periods of peak runoff there is usually a 
gradient in dissolved oxygen corresponding to the salinity gradient in Whitewater Bay. 
Total oxygen depletion was observed immediately following hurricane Donna of 
September, 1960, with conditions remaining between 80 and 37% saturation in Coot 
and southeastern Whitewater Bay, into October. By December, 1960, all stations had 
returned to near 100% saturation. The annual range of pH observed was normally 
between 7.7 and 8.2, with low values of 7.5 occurring during periods of oxygen 
depletion. Leaching of humic acids from the mangrove swamps had little effect on pH of 
adjoining bays. Runoff from the swamps produced pH values 0.5 to 0.8 units lower than 
the nearby bay water. The muds in the upper two centimeters of the bottom had pH 
values of the overlying water. At times, the diurnal range of pH was as great as the 
annual range. The normal daily range of pH was between 0.2 and 0.4 units. Turbidity in 
Florida Bay was specially severe along the shore of the upper Florida Keys and East 
Cape Sable. The heaviest turbidities were caused by the prevailing southeast winds and 
reach a peak concurrent with the period of defoliation of Thalassia testudinum in late 
summer. The turbidity was almost exclusively caused by fine particles of calcium 
carbonate marl in suspension. The invertebrate fauna of Florida Bay east and south of 
Flamingo is largely derived from the Carolinian-Gulf of Mexico faunal provinces. An 
examination of 355 species of invertebrate animals found in Biscayne Bay and Florida 
Bay produced only 15 species that were common to both areas, or 4.2% of the total 
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