many species of finfish and shellfish, as well as habitat for other life stages for some 
species. The Bay's finfish and shellfish are important foundations for the two major 
industries in adjacent Monroe County: commercial fishing and tourism. To date, the 
only measurable economic losses that coincide with the vegetation change are in 
commercial fishing, principally from the substantial decline in pink shrimp harvests. 
The losses since 1986, including indirect and induced effects, total about 500 jobs and 
$32 million in annual personal income. However, commercial harvests of spiny lobster, 
snappers, and groupers with about 12,800 primary and secondary jobs and $20 million 
in personal income are threatened by the vegetative changes. Tourism is also 
threatened by the vegetative changes in Florida Bay. It appears that tourism accounts 
for about a quarter of the Monroe County economy 12,000 jobs and $200 million in 
personal income. The threat is less direct than with commercial fishing, but is 
nonetheless real. The algae and diatom blooms have reduced water clarity in an area 
previously favored by recreational divers because of its pristine waters. The Bay 
provides habitat for several important sport finfish, such as spotted seatrout and red 
drum. The changes in the Bay may also threaten the ocean-side coral reefs that attract 
sport divers. The imprecision in estimating the tourism economy and in linking it with 
he vegetative changes makes it difficult to estimate the potential economic effects. 
Nonetheless, the changes are apparent to tourists and are attracting national attention 
as an example of ecosystem degradation. Losing a quarter of tourists and seasonal 
residents is certainly possible. Such a decline would threaten thousands of jobs and tens 
of millions of dollars in personal income probably exceeding the potential losses 
associated with a decline in comercial fishing. Furthermore, because changes in tourism 
are likely to lag behind changes in environmental quality, losses in the tourist economy 
are likely to persist, even if vegetation in the Bay were to recover quickly. Finally, 
economic declines would reduce local property values and tax collections. 
1994 0 
Mclvor, C. C., J. A. Ley, and R. D. Bjork (1994) Changes in freshwater inflow from the 
Everglades to Florida Bay including effects on biota and biotic processes: a review. In: 
Everglades: The Ecosystem and Its Restoration . S. M. Davis and J. C. Ogden (eds.) St. Lucie 
Press, Delray Beach, FL. 
[DATE OF SAMPLING UNKNOWN OR NOT APPLICABLE.] The freshwater Everglades and 
estuarine Florida Bay ecosystem are closely linked by marine and freshwater 
hydrologic cycles and by organisms that depend on both systems during different times 
of the year or periods of their life cycles. Impounding of water in the Water 
Conservation Areas and diversion of water away from Shark River Slough and Taylor 
Slough for purposes of urban use and flood control have significantly reduced the 
volume of fresh water to Florida Bay. As a result, bay waters are now more saline in 
more locations and for longer periods of time than under premanaged conditions. The 
filling of passes and shallow banks between several of the Keys for construction of the 
Flagler Railroad in the early 1900's reduced circulation in Florida Bay, thereby 
exacerbating anthropogenically generated salinity anomalies. Delivery of fresh water 
to Florida Bay differs from premanaged conditions in both volume and timing. Numerous 
effects on biota and biotic processes in the Bay and southern Everglades ecotone have 
been documented or implicated, including reduced recruitment of pink shrimp, snook, 
and redfish; lowered reproductive success of ospreys and great white herons; and 
shifts in distribution of West Indian manatees, American crocodiles, and many of the 
wading birds that historically nested in the estuarine ecotonal area. One species, 
however, the gray snapper (Iwutbanus gnseus), exhibits enhanced recruitment in years 
of higher salinity in Florida Bay. Reduced freshwater inflow is also implicated as one of 
a complex series of factors in the mass mortality of seagrasses in the Bay that has 
occurred since 1987. Similarly, hypersalinity is likely a factor in dieback of 
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