Note
Recent environmental issues involving Florida Bay, particularly those related to water quality, underline the need for a better-understanding of the bay's circulation patterns. The movement of water into, through and out of the bay transports a variety of dissolved and suspended material through the ecosystem. At the same time, the exchange of water between the bay and surrounding shallow-water areas helps maintain or re-establish water quality by providing a flushing action. Thus, a knowledge of circulation patterns is essential for understanding problems as well as for critically evaluating alternative solutions.