DSV Alvin
The platform forms a rampart between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. The platform's western edge, or Florida Escarpment, is normally defined where water depths at drop dramatically and in a short distance to . The Florida peninsula is located on the eastern side of the platform, where in places it lies only from the platform's edge. On the Gulf side the platform ends over to the west of the modern shoreline, where a massive cliff rises over from the depth of the Gulf floor. The western reaches of the platform just off Tampa were explored by the submersible DSV Alvin. Examination has placed the depth of carbonate rocks at greater than .