Southeast Fisheries Science Center (U.S.)

"Biscayne National Park (BNP) in southeastern Florida is a unique tropical marine environment of national significance, renown for its productive coral reef ecosystem, diverse natural resources, important fishing opportunities, and spectacular scenic beauty. BNP's coastal bay and coral reef habitats play a critical role in the function and dynamics of the larger Florida Keys coral reef ecosystem and contribute substantially to the multibillion dollar tourism and fishing industry. Park waters provide critical nursery habitats and food web links for many important commercial and recreational fishery resources including: bonefish, snook, tarpon, permit, pink shrimp, spotted seatrout, oysters, clams, blue crabs and stone crabs, baitfishes; and, numerous coral reef fishes that include snappers, groupers, grunts, barracuda, spadefish, spiny lobster, parrotfish, surgeonfish and triggerfish. The production dynamics of these valuable natural resources are inextricably linked not only to fishing and rates of exploitation but also to the spatial distribution and quality of bay waters and habitats, themselves greatly affected by growing human uses and management practices. Since BNP's natural resources are intimately related to the broader regional ecosystem through water movements and animal migrations, any Park degradation will have consequences well beyond its boundaries"--Executive summary, paragraph 1.

Technical Memorandum