Within Florida Bay, increased turbidity, hypersalinity events, seagrass mortality, and reoccurring algal blooms have resulted in a national effort in ecosystem restoration. Sediment resuspension is inherently tied to the issues prompting restoration efforts; resuspension of sediments is the main cause of increased turbidity, decreased light due to suspended sediments may adversely effect seagrass growth, and nutrients stored within the sediments and released during resuspension events may induce algal blooms. This project proposes to examine the controls on sediment resuspension in Florida Bay, quantify its occurrence on an annual basis, and provide the overall understanding and information which is needed to incorporate sediment resuspension and transport into circulation and water quality models.

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