Restore Florida Bay
Working with Audubon of Florida through a grant from the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, the Tavernier Science Center created a website to engage the public with Florida Bay and the southern Everglades. The countless days in the field filming and photographing matched only by an even greater time editing and tweaking, made this 9 month project a great challenge. Please visit the website RestoreFloridaBay.com to learn more and see the photos and videos brought to you by Mac Stone Photography and the Tavernier Science Center.
Florida Bay is a shallow estuary situated between the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Keys. Freshwater that pulses through the Everglades mixes with saltwater from the ocean, creating a highly productive estuarine ecosystem. From West Indian manatees to Roseate Spoonbills to American crocodiles, Florida Bay hosts an abundance of rare wildlife. Explore with us the wonders of Florida Bay and discover the challenges the estuary faces as it awaits restoration of the mighty River of Grass.
Submerged aquatic vegetation found in the transition zone between the freshwater Everglades and the marine waters of Florida Bay is critical to the ecology of this unique estuary. It provides shelter and food for small prey fish that feed a variety of wildlife, from fish-eating birds to larger fish, and subsequently reptiles such as the American crocodile. Reductions in freshwater flow delivered from the Everglades to Florida Bay has impacted the productivity of the region by reducing the abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation. Discover the relationship between freshwater flows and the health of Florida Bay, and if help is on the horizon.
Fish Sampling in Everglades National Park
Discover a new world by delving below the surface of Florida Bay and taking a journey with Audubon biologists as they document prey-base fish populations in the backcountry Everglades. Learn how wetland water levels affect fish populations, and ultimately the abundance of predators such as fish-eating birds, alligators and crocodiles. Will restoration projects be built and operated to restore the ecosystem and demersal fish populations before it’s too late for the ecosystem to recover?
An Indicator for the Everglades: The Roseate Spoonbill
Before the plume trade and South Florida's drainage for development, the Roseate Spoonbill was one of many bird species that dominated the skies and mangrove islands of Florida Bay. As flows to the Everglades were reduced by canal operations, Spoonbill populations suffered. Sensitive to small changes in their habitat, Audubon scientists established the Roseate Spoonbill as an indicator of the Florida Bay ecosystem. Everglades restoration efforts underway must increase volumes of freshwater flow to Florida Bay so the historic Spoonbill populations will return.