Reefs of Florida and the Dry Tortugas – Miami to Key West, Florida July 2 –7, 1989, Volume T176

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Field Trip Guidebooks Series, Volume 176.

This guide for the 28th International Geological Congress field trip to the modern coral reefs and sediments of southeast Florida and the Dry Tortugas is focused toward explaining (1) the distribution of Holocene coral reefs, (2) the relation between topography and Holocene sea-level rise, and (3) the compositional and thickness variations of sediments produced in and adjacent to the reefs. This excursion will visit and examine representative reefs and sediments throughout the area and will relate differences to environmental conditions.

The excursion begins at Miami and makes numerous swimming stops to examine reef-building processes and sediment distribution en route to the Dry Tortugas. Because this is a boat trip, there is no rigid stop-by-stop plan with measured distances, as is common in guidebooks for land-based excursions. This guide provides geologic and biologic background and discussion relating to reef distribution throughout the field trip area. Day-by-day trip plans will be provided on the first day. A coral identification key and historical information are included in Appendices A-C. Under ideal weather conditions, all the sites listed can be visited in the order presented.