SPACEPHOTOS

Florida Bay, Florida, USA April 1998 Located at the southern end of the peninsula of Florida, Florida Bay is a subtropical embayment that is located between the mainland and the Florida Keys. In recent years the fresh water flow southward through the Everglades and into Florida Bay has been modified; the lack of a regular water exchange or flushing action within the bay has caused environmental stress. In most places water depths are less than six feet (2 meters) deep. The web-like narrow features that seem to connect most of the small islands within Florida Bay are shallow shoals. The opaque looking colors within part of the bay (not to be confused with darker colors of sea grasses) are the result of sediments that are transported through the southern end of the Everglades and into Florida Bay. The dark coastal region along the northern edge of Florida Bay is an extensive mangrove forest. This section of the Florida Keys extends from southern Key Largo (upper left) to Duck Key (Y-shaped dark green island in the upper right corner).