Biscayne Bay turbidity study

"Biscayne Bay is a large subtropical estuary that extends from Broward County in the north to Barnes Sound in the south. While average depths are shallow, the Bay also includes portions of the Intracoastal Waterway, the Port of Miami, and numerous dredged channels to support commercial and recreational boating. The highly developed and economically vibrant urban areas of Miami and Miami Beach reach to the shoreline in many parts of the Bay, especially in the north. To the south, undeveloped coastline can be found on both the east and west sides of the Bay. Overall, Biscayne Bay iswidely regarded as a highly valued marine ecosystem with considerable natural value. All areas of the Bay have some level of protected status at either the national or state level...Inan area where the services provided by a natural marine ecosystem are so diverse, it is inevitable that projects are required for economic development, ecosystem restoration, and the maintenance of navigable waterways. When dredging is required, at least a temporary increase in the suspended sediment load is expected, thus projecting an increase in turbidity. Protocols for monitoring turbidity levels during construction operations sometimes reference background turbidity levels which are not expected to be influenced by the operations. It has been observed that these background turbidity levels naturally fluctuate due to winds, the presence of marine plankton, high concentrations of particles from land-based sources, and other environmental factors. While other investigators have studied turbidity in Biscayne Bay, there is scant information that is highly In this study, moored underwater instruments were used to monitor turbidity and related parameters continuously at three selected sites in Biscayne Bay for more than a year"--Introduction.