Biotic phase-shifts in Florida Bayand fore reef communities of the Florida Keys: linkages with historical freshwater flows and nitrogenloading from Everglades runoff

This chapter describes how human alteration of the Everglades watersheds in South Florida has
increased nutrient loads to "downstream" seagrass communities in Florida Bay and coral reefs in
the Florida Keys. We also describe how these hydrological and biogeochemical modifications have
resulted in nutrient enrichment of coastal waters, initiating harmful algal blooms and seagrass dieoff
in Florida Bay and loss of coral communities on the Florida reef tract.

Florida Atlantic University. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute contribution 1403

This manuscript is an author version with the final publication available and
may be cited as: Lapointe, B. E., Matzie, W. R., & Barile, P. J. (2002). Biotic phase-shifts in Florida Bay
and fore reef communities of the Florida Keys: linkages with historical freshwater flows and nitrogen
loading from Everglades runoff. In J. W. Porter, & K. G. Porter (Eds.), The Everglades, Florida Bay and
coral reefs of the Florida Keys: an ecosystem sourcebook (pp. 629-648). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.