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Biscayne Bay is home to a wide diversity of habitats and marine species. Its vast tidal flats are world-renowned for bonefishing. The area is also rich in seagrass and mangroves, and its proximity to Florida's coral reefs provides access to a number of reef-dependent species, including groupers and snappers, which use the bay as nursery habitat. Other species that may be caught in the Bay include snook, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, barracuda and small sharks. In 2005, retail sales associated with saltwater recreational fishing in Dade and Broward counties totaled $236.1 million, supporting more than 4,200 jobs.
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Projected Effects of a 15-inch Rise in Sea Level for Biscayne Bay by 2100 Losses of Estuarine Habitats/Beaches: 79% loss of tidal flats 54% loss of saltmarsh Losses of Freshwater/Dry Land Habitats: Habitat Increases: Species at risk: Download the full report (pdf) [0] |
Biscayne Bay is surrounded by one of the most highly-urbanized areas in Florida, and polluted runoff has been one of the most significant problems affecting the Bay. Dredging and shoreline developments also have harmed some of the area's coastal habitats.
Under the mean scenario, sea-level rise is not projected to cause significant additional habitat loss in the highly-developed northwestern portion of the study area, as those developments are build on relatively high land elevation. Farther south, however, lesser-developed low-lying dry land and freshwater wetlands are expected to undergo inundation and subsequent mangrove and brackish marsh expansion.
By 2050, beach erosion also is projected to claim 60 percent of existing estuarine beaches at those sites; and tidal flats decline by 74 percent throughout the Bay, jeopardizing some of the area's most popular fishing spots. Gamefish species at risk include snook, redfish, tarpon, yellowtail snapper, bonefish and permit.