Project Investigator: Charles W. Holmes Project Start Date: 1996 End Date: 1998 Proposal Abstracts Publication

Summary

The objectives of this study is the determine the origin of Buttonwood Ridge and define its role in ecologic history of the area.

The changes that have occurred in the transition zone between the Florida Peninsula and Florida Bay have changed the biologic productivity of the region. Where there once were large flocks of wading birds, they are extremely rare at the present time. It is thought that this demise is a signal of a great environmental change that has been brought on by anthropogenic changes in the hydrologic regime. This project addresses the geologic history of the region seeking the causes and the timing of these changes. It is assumed that once the causes and timing are understood, a management scheme can be put in place that will correct these changes and revert this important ecologic region back to a sustainable biologic resource.

The objectives of this study is the determine the origin of the "topographic feature" known as the Buttonwood Ridge and define its role in ecologic history of the area. It is a feature which is an enigma, in that it is constructed of fine carbonate mud with no perceptual store derived features. This program will examine the details of the feature and determine how the geologic structure relates to the development of features on both the upland and bays sides. As this is a region of once high biologic productivity which "fed" the resource of Florida Bay, it is imperative that this information be ascertained.

Proposal