Why were forams in Biscayne Bay studied?
This study is just one small part of a much bigger effort to restore the Florida Everglades ecosystem. As you can see in the map below, a large portion of the state of Florida was once covered by the Everglades (shown in light blue); but urban development and drainage have severely damaged this ecosystem. Today the Everglades is only half this size. Because the Everglades ecosystem is so important to the people and wildlife of Florida, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) became law in 2000 and it commits nearly $8 billion to restore and protect these water resources. Biscayne Bay is located off the southern part of Florida, south of the city of Miami and north of the Florida Keys. Inset map shows Florida relative to Cuba, the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. (Credit: USGS Open File Report 02-308, US Department of the Interior) Benthic forams were studied to help establish present environmental conditions in Biscayne Bay. The Everglades and Biscayne Bay are ecolog
