The South Florida ecosystem encompasses locales as diverse as the Everglades National Park, urban areas on the coast, intensely developed agricultural areas, rangelands, and wetlands. Over the last 100 years, massive alterations have occurred in these areas. Federal, State, and local resource managers and others are actively seeking to reverse the environmental damage that has been done as result of these changes. Mangroves are found throughout Florida Bay. They provide protected habitat, breeding grounds and nursery areas to many land and marine animals.
Mangroves also provide shoreline protection from wind, waves and floods.
Research projects, like Integrated Geochemical Studies in the Everglades, examine the complex interactions of contaminants, ecosystem responses, and how ecosystem restoration may affect south Florida. Tree islands are considered key indicators of the health of the Everglades ecosystem because of their sensitivity to both flooding and drought conditions. Tree islands also act as a sink for nutrients in the ecosystem and may play an important role in regulating nutrient dynamics.