Environmental Factors

Dawn sunlight shows the dynamic nature of ocean waves, clouds, and leaves of mangrove forest, while a sharp shoreline of jagged fossilized coral seems immovable.

NPS/Pete Wintersteen

The park protects vital marine habitat and nursery environments including one of the longest continuous stretches of mangroves left on the Florida's East coast, much of the northernmost extent of the fragile Florida Reef Tract, and extensive seagrass beds throughout Biscayne Bay which are an integral part of the South Florida ecosystem within the wider Caribbean biological community.

 

Lionfish swimming on the coral reef.

NPS Photo

Resource Management Series

The park has many ongoing, perennial projects that require consistent input of resources to maintain and protect various natural places, ecosystems, and processes. We have developed an article series to share more specific information on some of these projects. Follow the link here to find out more.