Florida Bay is the bay located between the southern end of the Florida mainland (the Florida Everglades) and the Florida Keys in the United States.It is a large, shallow estuary that while connected to the Gulf of Mexico, has limited exchange of water due to various shallow mudbanks covered with seagrass. An estuary may also be called a bay, lagoon, sound, or slough.

Lives in fresh water and estuaries and only leaves these habitats to enter the Atlantic Ocean … These habitats can include oyster reefs, coral reefs, rocky shores, submerged aquatic vegetation, marshes, and mangroves. These partially enclosed bodies of water where fresh and saltwater meet form nutrient-rich marshes, mangroves and lagoons. A wood stork flies in the skies over the Everglades. Florida mangrove plant communities covered an estimated 430,000 to 540,000 acres (1,700 to 2,200 km 2) in Florida in 1981.Ninety percent of the Florida mangroves are in southern Florida, in Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.. Fish, shellfish, and migratory birds are just a few of the animals that can live in an estuary. Healthy marine and estuarine habitats support fish and wildlife in a saltwater-based ecosystem. An estuary is an area where a freshwater river or stream meets the ocean. The microorganisms are eaten by small invertebrates (animals without backbones.) The decaying plants are eaten by microorganisms (animals so tiny you need a microscope to see them.) Within Florida Bay, there are limited areas of hardbottom reef. Endangered species of marine and estuarine habitats: American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus). Atlantic Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempi). The Everglades is a safe haven for several species of plants and animals. There is no other place in the world that combines a subtropical climate with a shallow, broad river, and stunning biodiversity into a complex ecosystem except for the unique Everglades. Photo © Gerald and Buff Corsi, California Academy of Sciences.

In estuaries, the salty ocean mixes with a freshwater river, resulting in brackish water.Brackish water is somewhat salty, but not as salty as the ocean. In fact, the complex food web found in an estuary helps to support an amazing diversity of animals. Distribution. In this case, it is where the Everglades (also known as the River of Grass ) meets the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. Many types of animals are found in estuaries. Fish and Wildlife Service. Where Florida rivers empty into the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, productive ecosystems called estuaries thrive. Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas). It flows into the Gulf of Mexico through Clam Pass which is between the Naples Grand and Pelican Bay. As an estuary, Florida Bay is sensitive to the quantity of fresh water it receives from the Everglades. NatureMapping is a hands-on environmental science and education program linking kids, communities and professionals. The Animals of the Florida Everglades. Clam Bay, a magnificent 570 acre estuary, reaches from Seagate to Pelican Bay. Naples Florida Estuaries and Wildlife. Photo courtesy U.S. Depending upon where you are, you might find: Plovers Herons Bald eagles Sandpipers Mergansers Peregrine falcons Ospreys Willets

By John Misachi August 29 2017.

These communities generally have low diversity and are dominated by octocorals, algae, sponges, and a few stony coral species.

Estuaries are essential habitat for bird rookeries and newborn species of fish and crustaceans. There are also different animals that live in each of these different habitats. Fish, like carp and stickleback, then eat the invertebrates. The banks separate the bay into basins, each with its own unique physical characteristics. Clam Pass is man-made and many locals know the intriguing story of its creation (ask me!) Florida lagoon is an animal ‘mass murder mystery’ Indian River Lagoon in Florida is one of the most biologically diverse estuaries in North America, with over 600 species of fish and more than 300 kinds of birds. In Florida, these habitats include seagrasses, coastal marshes, mangroves and various types of reefs such as oyster reefs, coral reefs or rocky reefs. The specific species of animals and plants vary depending on where the estuary is located. These communities generally have low diversity and are dominated by octocorals, algae, sponges, and a few stony coral species.

Florida Bay is an estuary, meaning it is where the river meets the sea. Water continually circulates into and out of an estuary.