Some of the most diverse and interesting areas of our coastal ecosystem are areas where one habitat is transitioning to another. Ecologists refer to these transitional areas as ecotones. many fishes like to hang out at the edge of the mangroves, where they can spot food passing by and quickly retreat to the protection of the prop roots. This video takes us along the transition between limestone outcrops of Tampa Bays hardbottom habitat and the open sand bottom. These ledges are a favorite hangout of mangrove snapper (aka. gray snapper) and other fishes. The video ends in a transition to turtlegrass beds. Because many species rely on different habitat types for different activities, restored or created habitats often cannot fully replace the ecological function of habitats that have developed naturally.
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 12:03:01 +0000
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