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Aerial photographic interpretation of the historical changes in northern Biscayne Bay, Florida, 1925 to 1976

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Date Issued:
1979
Summary:
This study documents the recent environmental history of northern Biscayne Bay using vertical aerial photographs combined with field studies and supplemented with data onthe pre-urban setting and the timing of urban developments and natural stresses. Aerial photographic surveys from 1925 and 1976 provided the basis for mapping important changes in terrestrial and submerged bay bottom environments. Where major changes were identified, aerial photography from numerous intermediate dates yielded additional information on the timing and specific character of change.
Title: Aerial photographic interpretation of the historical changes in northern Biscayne Bay, Florida, 1925 to 1976.
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Alternative Title: Sea grant technical bulletin, no. 40.
Name(s): Harlem, Peter Wayne, creator
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Technical Report
Date Issued: 1979
Publisher: University of Miami
Place of Publication: Coral Gables (Fla.)
Physical Description: 151 pages, illustration,28 cm.
Language(s): English
Summary: This study documents the recent environmental history of northern Biscayne Bay using vertical aerial photographs combined with field studies and supplemented with data onthe pre-urban setting and the timing of urban developments and natural stresses. Aerial photographic surveys from 1925 and 1976 provided the basis for mapping important changes in terrestrial and submerged bay bottom environments. Where major changes were identified, aerial photography from numerous intermediate dates yielded additional information on the timing and specific character of change.
Summary: The maps delineate overall long-term increases in developed land and disturbed bottom areas (dredged and spoil bottoms), decreases in mangrove land and benthic vegetation areas, and changes in man-grove, bulkheaded, and sloping shorelines in the Bay. Man induced changes were found to pervasive on land and along shorelines. Dredging and island construction within the Bay has disturbed 19 percent of the existing bay bottom. The major changes in the character of the Bay's terrestrial margins were caused by filling of swamps, expansion of original land areas, and the creation on new islands. Changes in the benthic environments result from: 1) circulation changes related to inlet and causeway construction, 2) direct dredging operations, and 3) increasing turbidity levels. Benthic vegetation has decreased over most of the study area except in the northernmost areas where substantial increases occurred following the opening of Bakers Haulover Inlet.
Summary: Aerial photographs record the effects of the major hurricanes of the 1920's and 1930's. These storms destroyed large acreages of coastal mangroves and they produced localized erosion of benthic plant communities. The amount and location of change produced by each storm was highly variable and some small storms had significant effects.
Summary: Analysis of sediment cores taken in substrates distrubed at known times yielded long-term sedimentation rates of 2.9 to 3.4 mm per year for northern Biscayne Bay.
Identifier: FI12091002 (IID), 6440500 (OCoLC), 3353243 (digitool), fiu:29813 (fedora)
Note(s): Bibliography: p. 131-143
Subject(s): Coast changes -- Florida -- Biscayne Bay.
Biscayne Bay (Fla.)
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3353243
Restrictions on Access: All rights reserved by the source institution
Restrictions on Access: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
Host Institution: FIU