Ecology of the Florida Keys

Trip Itinerary

Background

 May 15-22 2002
Day One
May 15
- Trip to Tampa

Day Two
May 16
- Trip to Long Key
- Keys Marine Lab

Day Three
May 17
- Sea grass Ecology
- Windley Key Fossil Reef
- Sunset
- Plankton

Day Four
May 18
- Bahia Honda
- West Sumerland Key
- Night Snorkel

Day Five
May 19
- Rain Day
- Grassy Key

Day Six
May 20
- Looe Key
- Mangrove Ecology

Day Seven
May 21
- Key West

Day Eight
May 22
- Return to Mobile

 The Florida Keys is an archipelago of islands that arcs away from the southeastern tip of Florida into the Caribbean sea.  The Keys, which were formed 120,000 million years ago, consist of a wide diversity of terrestrial and aquatic habitats, including coral reefs, mangroves, sea grasses and hard bottom communities.

As part of a collaborative effort, students from Spring Hill College and from Hillsborough Community College participated in a joint field trip to study the ecology of the Florida Keys.  This web site represents a sampling of our eight day trip.

The field trip was based out of the Keys Marine Laboratory on Long Key.  

Species Lists: This is a list of species Identified in the past 3 years.

Marine Algae and Plants Terrestrial Plants Porifera
Cnidaria Ctenophora Annelida
Mollusca Arthropoda Echinodermata
Chordates Fishes Reptiles
Birds Mammals

 

 

 

 


"The Florida Keys"
 As seen from space.  Image from the Goddard Space Flight Center


"I See You"
Compound Eye of a euphausid collected on plankton tow

"Sunset at the KML"