Biscayne National Park Research Paper
Biscayne National Park was founded on June 28, 1980. The national park is about 270 miles large. This park includes coral reefs, islands, and mangrove forest in the Northern part of the Florida keys. Many dolphins, turtles, and pelicans live in the Biscayne Bay lagoon. The park is 95% water and the bay is the location of the mangrove forests. The park is about 172,971 acres and has one of the largest and the first true florida keys, Elliot Key..Biscayne National Park has four major ecosystems. The four ecosystems are: the shoreline mangrove swamps, the shallow waters of biscayne, the coral limestone keys and the offshore Florida reef. The shoreline swamps provide a home for the larval and juvenile jellyfish. The offline shore harbors more than
200 species of fish, birds, whales, and hard corals. Over 16 endangered species live in these islands There are many endangered species live in these islands. Some of the endangered species that live in the Biscayne National Park are Florida tree snails, Miami blue butterfly, smalltooth sawfish, the american alligator, eastern indigo snake, green sea turtle, Brown pelican, the snowy egret, white ibis, wood stork, the Florida manatee, humpback whale, Sei whale, and a key largo cotton mouse.All of the islands in Biscayne national park are Soldiers key, The Ragged key, Sands key, Elliott key, Totten key, and Old Rhodes key. The largest Key is Elliott key. It is 1,650 acres large and about 8.1 miles long. The next largest key is Old Rhodes key. It is 660 acres large. Next is the Sands Key at 420 acres large. Then The Totten key at 380 acres large. And Little Totten key is about 280 acres large. There are about 37 other smaller islands that are east of the mainland. There is a wide shallow opening in between the Ragged key and Key Biscayne called the safety valve. The safety valve allows all the storm water out of the bay into the ocean after tropical storms or hurricanes.
200 species of fish, birds, whales, and hard corals. Over 16 endangered species live in these islands There are many endangered species live in these islands. Some of the endangered species that live in the Biscayne National Park are Florida tree snails, Miami blue butterfly, smalltooth sawfish, the american alligator, eastern indigo snake, green sea turtle, Brown pelican, the snowy egret, white ibis, wood stork, the Florida manatee, humpback whale, Sei whale, and a key largo cotton mouse.All of the islands in Biscayne national park are Soldiers key, The Ragged key, Sands key, Elliott key, Totten key, and Old Rhodes key. The largest Key is Elliott key. It is 1,650 acres large and about 8.1 miles long. The next largest key is Old Rhodes key. It is 660 acres large. Next is the Sands Key at 420 acres large. Then The Totten key at 380 acres large. And Little Totten key is about 280 acres large. There are about 37 other smaller islands that are east of the mainland. There is a wide shallow opening in between the Ragged key and Key Biscayne called the safety valve. The safety valve allows all the storm water out of the bay into the ocean after tropical storms or hurricanes.