Seagrasses form the dominant biological community within Florida Bay.
Along with macroalgae and mangroves, seagrasses are important in providing habitat for most of the recreationally and commercially fished species utilizing the Bay. Florida Bay is a critical nursery habitat for many of these species and is also the habitat of protected marine mammals and a number of threatened and endangered marine species. Florida Bay is currently undergoing an unprecedented modification of its ecosystems. Contemporary information on the distribution, status and dynamics of the biological communities in Florida Bay is currently insufficient to assess the efficacy of, or the system responses to, the various proposed restoration options. Spatially comprehensive status and trends information is a priority if we are to be able to separate natural ecosystem fluctuations from changes that may result from management and restoration activities, such as modifications to freshwater delivery into Florida Bay.