Sustainable fisheries: the South Florida experience

Abstract

The South Florida Ecosystem is defined using the extent of the natural watershed as is reflected by the boundaries of the South Florida Water Management District. This area encompasses approximately 46000 km/sup 2/ and includes 16 counties and starts at the city of Orlando and continues southward to Key West. The major ecosystems described within this area include Florida Bay and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). This paper is limited to these two ecosystems because of data availability. During the 20th century considerable changes have been made to the natural system. The most notable changes have been the reduction in the extent of the system; alterations in the natural pattern of hydrology, fire and nutrient supply and visible declines in wildlife. Management of resources within Florida Bay and the FKNMS and adjacent waters, are under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service (NPS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Florida Bay is a triangular body of water, which is about 1500 km2 in area and lies between the southern most ends of the peninsula and the Florida Keys. To the west, the bay is confluent with the Gulf of Mexico. The average depth throughout the bay is about 3 m and historically functioned as an estuary supporting considerable wildlife including fish and birds.