Sedimentation, Sea-Level Rise, and Circulation in Florida Bay

The goal of this project was to document decade- to century- scale processes associated with sediment transport in Florida Bay. The results will quantify the influence of bottom topography on water quality in the Bay so that sea level and bathymetric change can be integrated with numerical modeling efforts conducted by cooperating agencies.

Recent algal blooms and seagrass mortality have raised concerns about the water quality of Florida Bay, particularly its nutrient content (nitrogen and phosphorous), hypersalinity, and turbidity. Water quality is closely tied to sediment transport processes because resuspension of sediments increases turbidity, releases stored nutrients, and facilitates sediment export to the reef tract. The objective of this research is to provide a better understanding of how and when sediments within Florida Bay are resuspended and deposited, to define the spatial distribution of the potential for resuspension, to delineate patterns of potential bathymetric change, and to predict the impacts of storms or seagrass die-off on bathymetry and circulation within the bay. By combining these results with the findings of other research being conducted in Florida Bay, we hope to quantify sediment export from the bay, better define the nutrient input during resuspension events, and assist in modeling circulation and water quality. Results will enable long-term sediment deposition and erosion in various regions of the bay to be integrated with data on the anticipated sea-level rise to predict future water depths and volumes. Results from this project, together with established sediment production rates, will provide the basis for a sediment budget for Florida Bay.