HISTORICAL ECOLOGY OF FLORIDA KEYS CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEMS

Jeremy Jackson (SIO)

Link to NOAA Strategic Plan: NOAA's Mission Goal 1: Protect, Restore, and Manage the Use of Coastal and Ocean Resources through Ecosystem-based Management

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND SPECIFIC PLANS TO ACHIEVE THEM

This project was designed to conduct an in-depth review of historical sources (e.g., natural history descriptions, maps and charts, family and personal papers, state and colonial records) related to the Florida Keys ecoregion The objective of this historical sources survey is to understand the scope of historic material that may be used to document the maritime history of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) and develop the cultural and ecological historical background of the Florida Keys ecoregion. We achieved this objective by surveying materials held at historic archives in the U.S. and abroad and digitally documenting sources related to the historical ecology of the Florida Keys. This year's effort lays the groundwork for establishing a baseline for the biomass and biodiversity in the Florida Keys and surrounding coral reef ecosystems.

Specific goals of the project were to develop (i) an annotated bibliography database of historical sources from which biological and cultural indicators on the marine ecosystems of the Florida Keys can be derived, including a series of CDs containing digitalized images of the most important source materials (ii) a timeline of events influencing the ecological history of the Florida keys, and (iii) a historical narrative that describes the ecological and human setting in the Florida Keys ecoregion, as well as broader economic links in the Atlantic basin that drove ecological change.

RESEARCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS

This data location and collection effort was extremely successful and the quantity of digitalized data far exceeded expectations. Over 500 sources, including natural history descriptions, maps and charts, family and personal papers, and state and colonial records, were collected and digitized from 18 archives in the U.S., U.K, Spain, and the Bahamas. The historic sources collected in 2006-2007 are summarized in an annotated bibliography and representative source materials are available as digital images provided to NOAA on a series of CDs. Accomplishments from the 2006-2007 project also included (i) a timeline of events influencing the ecological history of the Florida Keys and surrounding coral reef ecosystems and (ii) a historical narrative describing the ecological and human setting in the Florida Keys ecoregion, as well as broader economic links in the Atlantic basin driving exploitation of marine animals.search objectives with them to maximize the utility of results from the Sanctuary Program.