Publisher's Synopsis
The central part of this thesis is a survey of the mangroves of Sarasota Bay, included in the Sarasota Bay Mangrove Extents 1991 section of this document. Thirty-seven 1 inch = 200 feet recent aerial photographs were used as a base for mapping the mangroves; over the past six months, I ground truthed these by boat and on foot. Included are field notes and pictures which show the height, type, and condition of most of the mangroves existing today, May 1, 1991. Despite my efforts to be exact, I am claiming 90% accuracy.The text of Sarasota Bay Mangrove Extents 1991 is a description of the shoreline that follows the mapping clockwise from Cortez Bridge, south along the Manatee County shoreline to the John Ringling Bridge, and back to the Cortez Bridge along the Longboat Key and Bradenton Beach shorelines, including Jewfish Key and Sister Keys and the offshore bay islands. In the text are introductory pieces before the survey and concluding observations after it.