Florida's Coast: How it Works
Like many Floridians, I am a transplanted
northerner. My father retired when I was in my teens and moved us
from a tiny town in New York State to the small coastal city of
Venice, Florida. It was obvious right from the start that things
were different in Florida. The plants
were different, the birds were different, even the weather was different.
It's taken me a long time to learn just how different the ecosystems
of my adopted state are from the area I grew up in. In fact, I'm
still learning. Like most people, when I think of Florida, the image
of a beach is one of the first things that comes to mind. With more
than 8,400 miles of coastline, it's no wonder.
But the state's coast is much more than just white-sand beaches.
The coastal zone is made up of a broad area where the land meets
the water, and varies from region to region. While there are similarities
among our coastal regions, there also are important differences.
| Florida's coastal
zone is a complex ecosystem encompassing the mainland, barrier
islands, estuaries, coastal marshes and mangroves. Water flows
from the uplands into coastal marshes and mangrove forests.
Rivers and streams bring fresh water into estuaries, creating
in many areas some of the most biologically diverse ecosystems
in the world. Barrier islands shelter the mainland from wind
and waves. |
Island Protection
Much of Florida is buffered by barrier islands. These islands act
as natural barriers (hence their name) protecting the mainland from
the effects of wind and waves. In other areas, wide sandy beaches
absorb the effects of wind and waves. Coastal areas are often defined
by their "energy level," which is determined by the strength of
wind and waves.
| From the first
native Americans settling along Apalachee Bay more than 10,000
years ago to the 800 or more people who have been moving here
every day since the 1980s, people have been drawn to the coast
of Florida. Tourists and residents go to the beach to spend
some time in the sun, to swim, boat and fish. People build
homes along the coast. Many make their living in the seafood,
shipping and recreation industries, all of which are tied
directly to the coast. |
Florida's east coast is a 'high energy'
coast, with generally strong winds and high waves. In contrast,
the coast along the Gulf of Mexico is a "low energy" coast, especially
the area from Crystal River north to Apalachicola. More of the east
coast islands are developed Miami Beach, Amelia Island, Cape Canaveral
and Jupiter Island are a few examples. What's important to remember
about barrier islands is that, in their natural state, they move.
The action of wind and waves pushes the islands inland as the mainland
retreats due to sea level rise. Ocean currents move sand along their
beaches either north or south. Thus they may elongate on one end
and shorten on the other. Sometimes this movement happens quickly
such as during a hurricane or other major storm.
Waterfront
Property
If you look at a geologic history of Florida, you'll see that
not too long ago—about 10,000 years —most of Florida was completely
covered by water. As the sea level fell, more and more of
the peninsula became exposed. Now the sea level is rising
again (although slowly), a fact those shopping for waterfront
property might want to think about. |
But more often it's a slow process,
measured in inches or feet per year. Barrier islands protect estuaries,
semi-enclosed bodies of water where salt water from the ocean mixes
with fresh water from rivers or from the land. In the northern part
of the state, estuaries often are bordered by coastal marshes. Further
south, they are enclosed by mangrove forests. Both marshes and mangrove
forests are important breeding areas for many kinds of birds, from
pelicans to ibises. They also act as spawning and nursery grounds
for most forms of seafood, such as fish, shrimp and oysters.
Hitting the Shore
Florida's coastal zone doesn't endwhere thewater reaches the mainland.
The coastal zone is where land and sea interact, and it hasthe highest
biological productivity on Earth. Florida's coast is important for
recreation,tourism, commerce and economic development. It also is
home to most of our state's people, who depend on its resources
and,to a large extent, determine its health. The more we allow poorly
planned and regulated urban, industrial, commercial and agricultural
development, the more we overharvest marine resources, the more
we use the oceans for waste disposal, the more ourcoastal ecosystems
will deteriorate. Actions on the land directly affect the coast.
The truth is, in Florida just about everybody should consider their
land waterfront property.
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