Contact

Heather Stafford - Heather.Stafford@dep.state.fl.us
700-1 Fishermans Wharf
Ft. Myers Beach, FL 33931
(239) 463-3240

Description of Site

The Estero Bay Estuary is bordered on the west by a chain of barrier islands, which include: Estero Island, Long Key, Lovers Key, Black Island, Big Hickory Island, and Little Hickory Island, from north to south respectively. Within the estuary are hundreds of islands, many with no upland area. Mangrove trees are by far the most dominant vegetation in the bay, although extensive seagrass beds are found within the shallow bays and sounds. The climate in the region is subtropical with the majority of rainfall from June to September. The estuary is not supplied with freshwater by any major river, but rather by a number of small rivers and creeks.

Established

The Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve, comprising the northern half of Estero Bay, was dedicated in December 1966, as the state's first Aquatic Preserve. During the 1983 session of the Florida legislature, the southern half of Estero Bay down to the Lee County line was added.

Location

The Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve is located in Southwest Florida, within Lee County. It is approximately halfway between Fort Myers and Naples. Unincorporated areas of Estero, Fort Myers Beach, and Bonita Springs surround the preserve.

Size

The surface area of the preserve is over 15 square miles.

Watershed

The Estero Bay drainage basin encompasses 293 square miles.

Habitat

Estero Bay contains several natural community types. Although overlap between the different communities often occurs, they remain distinct community types.

The dominant community type in the Estero Bay Estuary is the mangrove forest. Four different species of mangrove tree occur in the bay. Moving progressively inward, those species are the red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), black mangrove (Avicennia germinans), white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa), and buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus). The most common variation of the mangrove community within Estero Bay is the fringe mangrove which occurs along the shorelines of the bays, lagoons, and other waterways. All four mangrove species can be found in this variation. There are also significant areas of overwash mangrove areas, where the mangroves are standing in water with little or no associated uplands. This variation is generally dominated by red mangroves. There are a few variations that appear in more in more inland areas which usually have a high degree of mixture between the mangrove species and might include dwarf or scrub varieties.

The seagrass beds are primarily comprised of three seagrasses: turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum), manatee grass (Syringodium filiforme), and Cuban shoal grass (Halodule wrightii). In areas of low salinity, such as near the mouth of freshwater rivers and creeks, widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima) can be found. The denser grassbeds are usually found in shallow water with a fairly constant level of salinity.

Salt marshes are also present in Estero Bay, although they have been generally forced out by mangrove communities in this area of Florida. They form a transitional community between mangroves, freshwater marshes, and salt barrens. This community becomes more dominant in the brackish upper reaches of Henry and Mullock Creeks outside of the aquatic preserve boundaries. The dominant species in this community are cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) in the lower zones, needlerush (Juncus roemarianus) in the middle zone, and salt grass (Distichlis spicata) and slender cordgrass (Spartina patens) in the uppermost reaches.

Tidal flats comprise a wide variety of habitats that share the characteristic of having only sporadic vegetation from the three previous habitat types if they have any vascular vegetation at all. They do however contain extensive algal beds and have an important (although poorly understood) role in the estuary. These areas consist of estuarine beaches, spoil areas, shoal areas, mud flats, and areas waterward of mangrove forests.

Oyster bars form a unique substrate in areas where there are no other hard substrates. They serve to decrease turbidity by trapping sediment and stabilizing erosion processes. They provide a hard substrate and habitat for many other species of invertebrates which in turn attracts predators for those species.

Ecological Importance

The combination of subtropical climate, the lagoon configuration, and vegetation make this estuarine complex one of the most productive in the state. Approximately 40% of the state's endangered and threatened species are found within this area. The estuary also indirectly supports a variety of commercial and sport fisheries by providing nursery area, which substantially adds to the local economy. The estuary is also an important home for bird nesting colonies and a valuable stopover area for migrating birds.

Rare / Endangered Species

State listings are taken from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or as with plants Florida Department of Agriculture. Federal listings are taken from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. E= Endangered; T= Threatened; T (s/a)= Threatened due to similarity in appearance; SSC= Species of Special Concern; UR= Under review; n/a= information not available or no designation listed; C=Commercially exploited

Geomorphic Features

The Estero Bay estuary complex began to form approximately 5,000 years ago when a rise in sea level flooded the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River and the smaller rivers and creeks of the present Estero Bay area. This flooding caused sediments to be deposited at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River and the lesser streams. The sediments from the Caloosahatchee River were carried by the longshore currents south to be deposited as barrier islands bounding the present Estero Bay. The sediments deposited from the smaller rivers and streams in Estero Bay filled in the bay to cause its present shallow depth.

Estero Bay was formed into a lagoonal type estuary by the lack of significant fresh water input and a weak tidal exchange due to the restricted size of its inlets. This lagoonal formation may have been further aggravated by the present bridges and causeways in the area.

Archaeological Features

There are several major archaeological and historic sites within the boundaries of Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve and the adjacent upland areas. In addition, most of the area has not been surveyed and it is anticipated that additional sites will be located. The sites include both Native American and European encampments and villages, but most are prehistoric shell (kitchen) middens. Due to sea level rise, the majority of coastal sites from the earliest occupation of the area lie drowned in the bay or further out in the Gulf of Mexico.

Uses

Recreational:

Estero Bay is appropriate for many recreation activities, including boating, fishing, bird-watching, kayaking / canoeing, and swimming.

Commercial:

Commercial uses for Estero Bay include tourism and fishing.

Adjacent land use:

The majority of the land use surrounding the preserve is either residential usage, from sprawl around Fort Myers to Fort Myers Beach on Estero Island to Bonita Springs near the Imperial River at the south end of the preserve, or conservation. In addition, the newly created Florida Gulf Coast University is immediately east of the preserve.

Management Status

Designation:

The Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve was dedicated as such in December 1966. In 1975, the Legislature established a Florida Aquatic Preserve Act (codified in Chapter 258 of the Florida Statutes), thereby bringing all existing preserves under a standardized set of maintenance criteria. The Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve has also been recognized as a Gulf Ecological Management Site (GEMS).

Ownership / Manager:

The submerged lands within the boundaries of the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve are owned by the state of Florida. The Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve is managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas, through its Estero Bay office.

References

Department of Natural Resources. 1983. Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve Management Plan. Tallahassee, FL.