This means that regular flushing by tides is much less in Florida Bay than in most other coastal marine ecosystems. Tidal flushing aids in the cycling of nutrients and moderates changes in temperature and salinity. Reduced flushing in Florida Bay contributes to the accumulation of organic matter and associated nutrients. This contributes to the growth of plankton, which clouds the water and blocks light from reaching the seagrass beds. Lack of tidal flushing allows the biologically produced sediment to accumulate, and this reduces flushing further in a vicious cycle.
Some ecologists see salvation in the power of hurricanes to move water and sediment.
Evidence of the destruction wrought by past hurricanes litters the landscape of south Florida. Laid beside the weak tidal flushing in Florida Bay, it is easy to see how these intense storms might serve a constructive purpose in the ecosystem of Florida Bay. The theory is that the health of the ecosystem requires the occasional hurricane to flush out accumulated nutrients and keep sediments from building up in the shallow tidal channels and basins. Too long without a hurricane would bring on a general ecological decline in the bay. Hurricane Andrew was too compact and passed too far north to have much effect on the bay.