Mollusks and Marine Environments of the Ten Thousand Islands provides the first comprehensive overview of the shells and habitats that are present in the last unexplored coastal area of southwestern Florida. The mysterious and primordial Ten Thousand Islands, where the rivers and marshlands of the Everglades empty into the Gulf of Mexico, house a number of remarkable marine ecosystems, many shown here in detail for the first time. Primary among these are unique worm shell “reef systems,” composed entirely of immense masses of vermetid gastropod mollusks. These previously unexplored and unstudied gastropod reefs, which are often many acres in size, are shown here to mimic coral reefs in their growth structure and represent the only large-scale molluscan reefs found anywhere on Earth. Living in association with the zonated gastropod reefs are a number of rare and unusual mollusks, some of which represent endemic species that are unique to the Ten Thousand Islands. These and many other southwestern Florida shells are illustrated throughout this book, along with detailed illustrations and descriptions of the marine and estuarine environments that dominate the archipelago and its adjacent lagoon systems.
Author(s): Edward J. Petuch, David P. Berschauer
Publisher: CRC Press
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 183
City: Boca Raton
Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Shell Collecting in Ten Thousand Islands: Responsibility, Ethics, and the Law
Introduction
Structure of the Inner Ten Thousand Islands and Back Bays
Structure of the Outer Ten Thousand Islands
Endemism in the Ten Thousand Islands
Biogeography of the Ten Thousand Islands
Pictorial Overview of Ten Thousand Islands Environments
Chapter 1: The Ten Thousand Islands Mangrove Forests
Mangrove-Associated Marine Organisms
Arboreal Gastropods of Island Tropical Hardwood Forests
Pictorial Overview of Mangrove Environments and Associated Organisms
Iconography of Mangrove-Associated Mollusks
Chapter 2: The Ten Thousand Islands Oyster Banks
Pictorial Overview of Oyster Bank Environments and Associated Organisms
Iconography of Oyster Bank-Associated Mollusks
Chapter 3: The Vermetoherms of the Ten Thousand Islands
Vermetoherm Platforms and Their Complex Structure
Pictorial Overview of Vermetoherm Environments and Associated Organisms
Iconography of Vermetoherm-Associated Mollusks
Chapter 4: The Ten Thousand Islands Sand and Mud Flats
Pictorial Overview of Intertidal Sand and Mud Flats and Associated Organisms
Iconography of Sand and Mud-Associated Mollusks
Chapter 5: The Ten Thousand Islands Sea Grass Beds
Pictorial Overview of Sea Grass Environments and Associated Organisms
Iconography of Sea Grass-Associated Mollusks
Chapter 6: The Deep Channels and Offshore Areas
Pictorial Overview of Deep Channels Areas and Associated Organisms
Iconography of Deep Channel and Offshore Mollusks
Systematic List of the Mollusks of the Ten Thousand Islands
References
Index
About the Authors
Appendix 1: Map of the Ten Thousand Islands: Northern Section
Appendix 2: Map of the Ten Thousand Islands: Southern Section (upper half)
Appendix 3: Map of the Ten Thousand Islands: Southern Section (lower half)
