Biscayne National Park

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Native Peoples

• Human History Begins 10,000 years ago with the migration of Paleo-Indians down the florida peninsula

Continued...

• Sea levels were low during the ice age
• The peninsula was twice the width it is today
• When the ice age ended water levels rose and the bay filled with water
• thousands of years, after the paleo-indians, there is little evidence of native peoples

Tequesta Culture

• approximately 2500 years ago the nomadic people that once dominated the region were beginning to settle.
• Tequesta people took advantage of the bounty of the sea
• Created pottery, established trade networks, and built complex social structures

1500s-1800s

• the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century introduced new diseases to the tuequestas, whiping out the entire population by the 1700s
• By the 1800s, the area was a haven for pirates and buccaneers
• 1819 Florida was acquired by united states

@20th century

• Solitude originally protected the barrier islands
• the advanced developments, such as resorts and bridges, threatened the Biscayne area
• Became a national monument in 1968
• nAtional Park on june 28, 1980

Geology

• the park formed less than 6 million years ago during an interglacial period when sea levels were 25+ ft. higher.
• the florida keys located within the park are comprised of Key largo limestone.
• the shoreline of the park is made of oolitic facies and brozoan facies, which together forms miami limestone.

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geology cont...

• generally the geology of the park is subject to influences such as changing sea levels, currents, hurricanes, and organisms that help build the reefs.
• there a 4 ecosystems in the park- the coral reefs, the mangroves, biscayne bay, and the florida keys.

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coral reef geology

• formed by millions of polyps that obtain calcium from seawater to create limestone skeletons around themselves.
• the polyps then shed their skeleton.
• because of wave activity the skeletal materials pile up and become compressed to produce huge, rocky coral reefs.
• these polyps built the keys when water levels where much higher.

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coral reefs

• the reef is filled with sponges, sea fans, fish, and many other ocean dwelling organisms.
• over 200 species of fish can be spotted in biscayne's reefs.
• biscayne's reefs are very vulnerable to pollution.

mangroves

• one of the longest continuous stretches of mangroves left.
• with their dense root system, they keep the waters clear by slowing water flows and allowing sediments to settle.
• there are three types of mangroves- red, black, and white.
• the leaves also provide a vital food source for many of the parks animals.

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biscayne bay

• this bay is is a combination of freshwater from the land and saltwater.
• it serves as a very popular nursery for infant and juvenile marine life.
• seagrass meadows- has a thick layer of sediments where lush meadow seagrass forms.
• hardbottom-thin sediment layer where no plants can take root.

florida keys

• elliot key is the park's largest key.
• the southern keys are the remains of coral reefs.
• the islands to the north are considered "transitional" islands, which are a mixture of hard rock and sand.
• inland on the islands, there is bountiful tropical vegetation and animal life.

Animals

• -Since 95 percent of Biscayne National Park is water, the majority of the animals are associated with ocean or shoreline habitats.
• -The aquamarine waters are full of sea stars, sponges, soft corals, hundreds of types of fish and other marine life

Animals cont.

• -threatened and endangered species include the West Indian manatee, eastern indigo snake, American crocodile, peregrine falcon, Schaus' swallowtail butterfly, and 5 species of sea turtle.

sea stars

MORAL EELS

STING RAYS

manatees

Vegetation

• 1. Biscayne national park is vast in vegetation and home to many species of plants
• 2. botanist have found over 500 different plants on an island in southern Biscayne bay
• 3. Biscayne has over 60 threatened/ endangered plants within the park under federal or state classification

Endangered Species

• -Staghorn coral
• -Elkhorn Coral
• -Pillar Coral

Gumbo-limbo trees

Semaphore Cactus

ANGelwing jasmine

madagascar periwinkle

Recreation

• Camping
• Hiking
• Lighthouse Tours
• Boat Tours
• Swimming/Snorkeling
• Fishing/lobstering
• canoe Trips

Why Biscayne is a gem

• Unique park-econcompasses 4 ecosystems
• Wholesome expirence because of the vast amount of activites avaliable
• Home to many endangered species (West Indian Manatee, Eastern Indigo Snake, American Crocodile, and 4 species of turtles)

Save the turtles!!!

works cited

• http://www.nps.gov/bisc/learn/nature/coralreefs.htm
• http://www2.fiu.edu/~whitmand/Courses/Fl_geo_notes.html
• http://www.luckysci.com/2014/04/structure-and-formation-of-recent-limestone...
• http://www.nps.gov/bisc/index.htm
• http://www.miamiandbeaches.com/parks/biscayne-national-park/100847