Florida Bay Project Profiles: Florida Bay Ecosystem History Database

Question: How can all of the paleoecological data (historical record of the environment found by analyzing the animals and plants in the sediment record) pertaining to Florida Bay, Biscayne Bay and other land based ecosystems be made readily available to scientists, resource managers and private citizens?

Project: Collect and synthesize paleoecological data that has been generated by United States Geological Survey researchers of South Florida and build a database that is available via the internet.

Findings to Date: Taking Florida Bay as the example, paleoecological researchers have taken sediment cores and have analyzed them for the presence of microscopic animals, pollen and 210 Pb (lead 210, used to date the sample). This sounds easy, but in actuality, many researchers work on the same core. Each microscopic organism and grain of pollen must be identified and counted for abundance and each layer of sediment must be dated. The samples are then compared to what is found in the current Florida Bay environment.

The goal is to be able to understand what the environment was like historically so that ecosystem managers will better understand what cycles are normal in Florida Bay.

Status: This database will be available online in 1998.

Restoration Impacts: This database combines results from several projects to achieve a big picture for the history of the South Florida ecosystem.

Funding Source: South Florida Water Management District, United States Geological Survey

Related Profiles:

• FBPP-142 • FBPP-144

• FBPP-145 • FBPP-147

• FBPP-149 • FBPP-150

January 07, 2009 This page last modified: July 16, 2001
January 07, 2009 This page last modified: July 16, 2001	*PALEOECOLOGY* Florida Bay Ecosystem History Database Florida Bay Project Profile - 140 *Question:* How can all of the paleoecological data (historical record of the environment found by analyzing the animals and plants in the sediment record) pertaining to Florida Bay, Biscayne Bay and other land based ecosystems be made readily available to scientists, resource managers and private citizens? *Project:* Collect and synthesize paleoecological data that has been generated by United States Geological Survey researchers of South Florida and build a database that is available via the internet. *Findings to Date:* Taking Florida Bay as the example, paleoecological researchers have taken sediment cores and have analyzed them for the presence of microscopic animals, pollen and 210 Pb (lead 210, used to date the sample). This sounds easy, but in actuality, many researchers work on the same core. Each microscopic organism and grain of pollen must be identified and counted for abundance and each layer of sediment must be dated. The samples are then compared to what is found in the current Florida Bay environment. The goal is to be able to understand what the environment was like historically so that ecosystem managers will better understand what cycles are normal in Florida Bay. *Status: This database will be available online in 1998. Restoration Impacts:* This database combines results from several projects to achieve a big picture for the history of the South Florida ecosystem. *Funding Source:* South Florida Water Management District, United States Geological Survey *Related Profiles:* • FBPP-142 • FBPP-144 • FBPP-145 • FBPP-147 • FBPP-149 • FBPP-150
	The Florida Bay Education Project is an archived site. For more information go to NOAA's South Florida Ecosystem Education Project at www.aoml.noaa.gov/sfp/outreach.shtml.

PALEOECOLOGY

Florida Bay Ecosystem History Database