BRD PRINCIPAL CONTACT:
Thomas J. Smith III
Florida Integrated Science Center
Center for Coastal & Watershed Studies
600 Fourth Street, South
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
727-803-8747 x 3130   FAX: 727-803-2030   Email: Tom_J_Smith@usgs.gov

CO-PRINCIPAL CONTACT:
Carole C. McIvor
Florida Integrated Science Center
Center for Coastal & Watershed Studies
600 Fourth Street, South
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
727-803-8747 x 3122   FAX: 727-803-2030   Email: Carole_Mcivor@usgs.gov

AFFILIATED INVESTIGATORS:

Gordon H. Anderson FISC, Everglades Field Station 40001 State Road 9336 Homestead, Florida 33034 305-242-7891 Gordon_Anderson@usgs.gov	Kirsten Hart Duke Marine Laboratory Beaufort, NC 28516 252-504-7571 kmh5@duke.edu
Noah Silverman & Katie Kuss ETI Professionals, Inc. 600 Fourth Street, South St. Petersburg, FL 727-803-8747 nsilverman@usgs.gov kkuss@usgs.gov	Kevin R.T. Whelan FISC, c/o Florida Int'l. University OE Bldg., Room 167 Miami, FL 305-348-6047 whelank@fiu.edu

DATE SUBMITTED:
July 1, 2004

INTRODUCTION:

Mangrove forests are a dominant part of coastal ecosystems in the world's tropical and sub-tropical areas. Mangroves provide many ecosystem goods and services to humans, such as: shoreline and flood protection, commercial and recreational fisheries, water quality improvement, and tourism. Coastal development and conversion from forest to fish ponds, housing developments and port facilities, has resulted in tremendous losses of mangrove forests worldwide. Mangroves are now considered one of the globe's most threatened tropical coastal ecosystems. Global climate change in general, and sea level rise in particular, is another factor which could adversely affect these productive and important environments. The objective of our research was to examine the impact of potential global climate change on the plants, animals, and hydrology of the mangrove forests in south Florida.

Related information:

Related Project: Understanding and Predicting Global Climate Change Impacts on the Vegetation and Fauna of Mangrove Forested Wetlands in Florida