Water flow was 10% of historic water flow

By early 1970s shifting from mixed species culture to

monospecific thalassia beds
o Thick and shallowing the bed
Bulls eye 52 ppt (maintaining high consistent salinity will
change the historical balance of plants and animals)
Signs of dying seagrasses were primarily near the center of
the bulls eye high salinity areas
This area was not affected by solar-lunar tides, its more wind
since the area is blocked in by land on 2 out of 3 sides
25 inch swing in the water level that can come into that area
just based on the winds and precipitation
More insulation on the shoulder months than in the middle of
the summer time
In terms of the total amount of radiation, focus on the
integrated area under the curve 25 degrees Celsius more
available radiation
Pd from 89-94, the extinction coefficient increased from 0.5-
2.25 (in the dieoff stations)
o Over this period: were there any pronounced changes in
the oceanic water? Were the oceans changing
temperature?
o Stations of interest were below the long term average
they were cooling
Coincided with a deep water channel
Warming along the waters in western Florida
Not definitive
Four marine grid squares surrounding Florida Bay
Early 1980s, they trend downward
87 and 88 reach the highest and lowest point
Beginning of dieoff stared during the fall of 87 and
then became more prevalent in the fall of 88
Fall of 87 was a bad year for coral reefs as
well bleaching and die off (they occurred
with the spike)
o Water inside the bay was more saline than it was hot
and so it was very very dense
Grassbeds got denser and denser, and then once they reached
the peak, they died off
Historically, it was a very flashy estuary had a lot of surface
area, with a very little amount of volume.
Salinity fluctuated a lot this caused species to be diverse
Overtime with stable environmental conditions, you will end
up with thalassia
 o Disturbance can set this back
o Used to be Halimeda, halodule, thalassia, syringodium
Restrained circulation to East
BECAME FIXED AND STABLE thalassia built up
and overbuilt. (such a quick turnover time?)
South Florida is hit by a big hurricane about every 35 years
(category 4 or 5)
Trees overgrow and other things over build, and then things
can become catastrophic
Physical changes:
Water delivery was reduced flow reduced and patterning
changed
Recent change (25 y) in storm frequency
Decadal change in local termperature and pattern - shifting
of warmer temperatures to fall
Extreme hypersalinity in 1987-1990 effects in Forida Bay
and the Reef Tract
Shallowing in portions of the bay results in banktop
defoliation and dieoff
Ecological Changes:
General biomass increase in 50 year time Frame
Doubleing of biomass in some areas in decade
Primary die off is real culprit only in densest seagrass
meadows and only in continentally influenced beds in Florida
Bay
Massive loss of stored nutrients following dieoff
Massive algal blooms in florida bay are a result of dieoff not a
cuase of dieoff
Rapid recolonization or pioneer following dieoff
Increase in habitat diversity following die off
Increase in secondary productivity following die off
Massive outbreak of dieoff in early 1992
Hurricane Andrew: 24 August 1992