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Biscayne National Monument includes the upper part of the Florida Keys as well as large parts of south Biscayne Bay and Card Sound. [larger image]

Biscayne National Monument, 25 miles south of Miami, contains 96,000 acres of which only about 4,500 are land, consisting of 25 small islands. These islands form a north-south chain which separates the southern part of Biscayne Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. On the north, the monument is partly separated from the turbid and polluted waters of north Biscayne Bay by a shallow bank. South of the monument, the bay is shallow and because it is enclosed, water circulation is poor. Floating wastes and pollutants collect easily, and the temperature of the water fluctuates rapidly.

The marine environment within the monument is extremely diverse and fragile. Many fishes spend their juvenile life in the shallow, grassy areas of the bay. These areas depend on tidal flushing of the mangrove forests for nutrients. The grasses also act as sediment traps and maintain water clarity essential for coral life and growth.

Offshore from the islands, the reef slopes gently downward, past the scattered and myriad patch reefs to a submerged grassy plain of about 30 ft. depth. It then rises abruptly onto the several shallow rubble reefs. Passing the ancient dead coral reefs, the bottom then slopes again downward and into the strong, warm Florida Current, which contributes to the tropical vegetation growing upon the islands and to coral growth.

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Boating is popular, and marinas are prevalent in the area. [larger image]

Boats also present sanitation problems. Currently there are no sanitation requirements for small boats operating in south Florida; the ever-increasing disposal of wastes directly to the water poses a serious pollution threat.

Because Biscayne Bay is shallow, boat channels must be maintained. [larger image]

South Biscayne Bay and the reefs offshore from the Keys have always been good fishing grounds. In order that this area remain productive, the bay has to remain healthy and stable. The number of fishermen and skindivers are also increasing, so some controls may be necessary to sustain this fishery resource.

At present, means to control visitor uses deleterious to the Monument are being studied. For example, bottom scarring by boat propellers will be reduced by improved channel marking. Consumptive uses of the monument will be discouraged and nonreplenishable resources protected. Proper controls can be implemented by the National Park Service only within the legal jurisdiction of the monument. But the natural boundaries of the ecosystem extend well beyond this artificial boundary and the effects of man's activities are far reaching. To insure protection of the monument, government agencies and the concerned public should cooperate in identifying and attempting to control the multitude of potential threats posed by man, his developments, and his technology in all of the surrounding area.

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The shallowness of Biscayne Bay makes it a prime target for boat ruts. The propellers of boats not using channels kill the vegetation, which takes years to regrow.

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