Life Sciences Commons^™

Dredging And Shipping Impacts On Southeast Florida Coral Reefs, Brian K. Walker, David S. Gilliam, Richard E. Dodge, Joanna Walczak

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

Many coastal regions have experienced extensive population growth during the last century. Commonly, this growth has led to port development and expansion as well as increased vessel activity which can have detrimental effects on coral reef ecosystems. In southeast Florida, three major ports built in the late 1920’s along 112 km of coastline occur in close proximity to a shallow coral reef ecosystem. Recent habitat mapping data were analyzed in GIS to quantify the type and area of coral reef habitats impacted by port and shipping activities. Impact areas were adjusted by impact severity: 100% of dredge and burial areas, …