bank organisms; in general, banks should represent a more stressful habitat than 
deeper grass beds. 
1984 - 1986 
Powell, G. V. N., S. M. Sogard, and J. G. Holmquist (1987) Ecology of shallow water bank 
habitats in Florida bay. Final rep. contract CX5280-3-2339. South Florida Research Center, 
Everglades National Park, Homestead, FL. 405 pp. 
[NO COPY OF PAPER AVAILABLE. ABSTRACT FROM SCHMIDT (1991).] This study was 
designed to describe the physical environment of Florida Bay's bank habitats, including 
topography, tidal flux, wind direction and velocity, temperature and salinity regimes, 
sediment characteristics, and seasonal variations of the above. In addition, the 
distribution and abundance of fishes and decapod crustaceans and variation in seagrass 
growth on banks was determined. The effects of seagrass parameters and variations in 
physical parameters on species composition and density was determined. The effects of 
nutrients on seagrass parameters, fish and invertebrates was presented. Results 
indicated that bank seagrass communities were affected to a greater degree than 
submerged systems. Standing crop of seagrasses was the most important biotic factor 
influencing fish and decapod densities. Water level and wind stress had a major impact 
on the shallow banks. Seagrass, demersal fish, pelagic fish, and decapod populations on 
the banks varied in a consistent manner across the bay. Seagrass cover on banks 
allowed species to survive during periods of extreme physical stress and insured a 
source of prey for fish and birds. 
1985 
Bosence, D. (1989) Biogenic carbonate production in Florida Bay. Symp. on Florida Bay: A 
Subtropical Lagoon. Miami, FL. June, 1987. Bull. Mar. Sci. . 44(1 ):419-33. 
This paper reviews previous work on biogenic carbonate production within Florida Bay 
and presents new data from a 1985 survey on production from the Upper Cross Bank 
and Buchanan Key areas. Production figures for bank and lake environments were 
calculated from standing crop surveys and growth rates determined from published 
work and short-term growth measurements. The organisms studied were: Porites, 
Thalassia, epibionts, mollusks, Penicillus, soritid foraminifera and Halimeda listed in 
order of decreasing carbonate productivity. Production figures indicate that banks 
produced twice as much skeletal carbonate per unit area as lakes. However lakes were 
much larger than banks and, within the study areas, lakes generated about four times 
the amount of sediment as that formed on banks. This excess sediment was considered 
to have been transported to the southwest of the Bay to areas with larger 
constructional banks or out of the Florida Bay system. The migrating Upper Cross Bank 
generated sediment at rates nearly one order of magnitude less than those of the more 
stable Buchanan bank and the back-reef mound of Tavernier. Production rates may 
therefore be effecting bank stability. 
1985 
Bosence, D. (1989) Carbonate budgets for carbonate mounds Florida, USA. Proc., 6th Coral 
Reef Symposium, Townsville, Australia. Vol. 2. 529-34. 
[NO COPY OF PAPER AVAILABLE. ABSTRACT FROM SCHMIDT (1991).] Carbonate 
production rates are compared with sediment volumes for shallow water mounds in 
Florida Bay along a transect from the back-reef Tavernier mound to Buchanan Bank in 
outer Florida Bay to Upper Cross Bank, inner Florida Bay. Production rates are 
established from standing crop and growth rate data. Production rates decrease by 
orders of magnitude from reef to back-reef and outer-bay mounds and from outer to 
inner-bay mounds. Intermound production is less than mound production but represents 
90% of the inner-bay area and therefore contributes more sediment to the region than 
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