[ABSTRACT ONLY, DATE OF SAMPLING UNKNOWN OR NOT APPLICABLE.] Florida Bay is 
a shallow-water, triangular-shaped area of about 1,000 square miles wedged in 
between the south Florida mainland and the string of elongated Florida Keys. Protected 
by the Keys mainland, it is open to the southwest into the Gulf of Mexico, but the open- 
water effects on the Bay are dampened by the anastomosing mudbanks, which cordon 
the Bay into a series of internal basins (or 'lakes’ as known locally). Major changes in 
the Bay usually occur during severe storms (hurricanes). Because of its geographic 
position, climate and geological factors, carbonate sediments are generated in the Bay 
which is a modern carbonate factory). Its accessibility and conditions make it a popular 
modern analog for understanding ancient sediments in the rock record deposited under 
similar conditions. The study of the Bay can be divided into three segments: (1) early 
exploration and description (1850 - 1953); (2) general stratigraphy and sedimentology 
(1953 - 1977); and (3) detailed, in-depth studies (1977-). The first studies of 
southern Florida, commencing in the mid-19th century, were mainly exploratory and 
descriptive. The modern reef tract attracted attention and interest but mostly in 
regard to the flora and fauna because they were different from those in other parts of 
the United States. Such workers as Louis Agassiz and T. Wayland Vaughan drew 
attention to the importance of the area. Others, including C. W. Cooke and S. Mossom, J. 
H. Davis, S. Sandford, E. M. Thorp and G. Matson and F. G. Clapp, were concerned with 
the general geology of the area. These broad-brush studies were instrumental in 
understanding the setting and preparing the way for additional work. The second period 
is one of careful and thoughtful studies of stratigraphic and sedimentologic processes 
and descriptions of the features in the Bay and its development during the past 5,000 
yrs. R. Ginsburg did his pioneering work in the early to mid-1950’s, followed shortly 
by D. Scholl's work. Such workers as M. Ball, P. Enos, D. Gorsline, R. Halley, J. E. 
Hoffmeister, M. Lloyd, G. Lynts, G. Multer, R. Perkins, G. Shinn, D. Steinker, K. 
Stockman, J. Turney and H. Wanless were active beginning in the mid to late 1960's. 
This period culminated with publication of the now classic paper in 1977 by P. Enos and 
R. Perkins on 'Quaternary Depo-positional Framework of South Florida" (Geological 
Society of America Memoir 147). Since 1977 much effort has gone into refining the 
concepts on generation and accumulation of the calcareous mud in the Bay and its 
preservation in relation to sea level changes. Geochemistry of the sediments has 
received much attention. Island stratigraphy has been the focus of other studies along 
with the mechanisms for distribution of the geologic, biologic and chemical parameters 
of the Bay. Pleistocene bedrock cores have been taken to determine the distribution of 
the Miami Limestone facies. In addition simulation studies of the Bay are underway 
utilizing available data. Groups currently working on the problems are located at 
Alberta Geological Society, University of Connecticut, Lehigh University, University of 
Miami, University of South Florida, Wichita State University and the US Geological 
Survey at Fisher Island in Miami and at Denver, CO. Many individuals in the United 
States and in Europe are working on various problems at different locations in the area. 
This 'Symposium on Florida Bay,' sponsored by the US National Park Service, 
Everglades National Park and the University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and 
Atmospheric Science, is an excellent opportunity for an update and exchange of 
information in regard to the latest developments on research of Florida Bay and 
vicinity. 
1989 0 
Merriam, D. F., J. M. Fuhr, R. V. Jenkins, and P. J. Zimmerman (1989) Pleistocene bedrock 
geology of Florida Bay, the Keys, and the Everglades. Bull. Mar. Sci. . 44:519-20. 
[ABSTRACT ONLY.] The Late Pleistocene Miami Limestone of southern Florida 
comprises three facies: bryozoan, coral, and oolite. The coral facies of Miami is 
termed the Key Largo Limestone and the oolitic facies the Miami Oolite (= Key West 
328 
