Following, are descriptions and photographs of some of South Florida's very unique ecosystems. We hope that you will see the beauty and significance of these natural areas and will understand the importance of their protection and restoration. A photo gallery is also available for this page. Coral Reefs Star and Staghorn Coral found in the Florida Keys. They require relatively calm, clean waters with stable temperatures and salinity.
Coral is a collection of small, individual coral animals called polyps.
When the polyps die, new polyps build their home on top of the limestone skeletons. As you can imagine, coral reefs take a long time to grow. They depend on coral for food and protection and the coral depend on zooxanthellae for oxygen and food. Dunes are created by dune grasses, which trap sand grains being moved across the beach by wind. Dunes stabilize the mounds of sand that protect the coast against winds and pounding tides.