Florida Middle Grounds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Florida Middle Grounds |
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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Acanthochitona venezuelana, Florida Middle Ground, May 1977
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| Location | |
| Location | Gulf of Mexico |
| Coordinates | 28°27′30″N 84°12′30″W / 28.45833°N 84.20833°W |
| Country | United States |
| Geology | |
| Type | reef |
The Florida Middle Grounds are a special area of reefs in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. They are about 128 kilometers (80 miles) west-northwest of the west coast of Florida. This underwater place is like a busy city for many ocean creatures!
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Exploring the Florida Middle Grounds
These reefs are made of limestone ledges and tall pinnacles. Some of these underwater structures are more than 15 meters (50 feet) high! The Florida Middle Grounds cover a large area, about 348 square nautical miles. This hard-bottom region is located about 150 kilometers (93 miles) south of Florida's panhandle coast. It is also about 160 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of Tampa Bay.
How the Reefs Were Formed
The ridges of the Florida Middle Grounds are made of soft, muddy sand from the ocean. This sand is about 12 meters (40 feet) thick. Underneath the sand is an older type of limestone from the Miocene age. This means it formed between 5 and 22 million years ago.
For a long time, scientists thought these reefs were made by coral. But new studies in 2010 and 2011 showed something different. The ridges were likely formed by sand bars that grew over time. These sand bars were then covered and protected by tiny marine snails called "worm snails" (Petaloconchus sp.). These snails cement their tube-shaped shells to hard surfaces, helping to build up the reef.
Amazing Ocean Life
The Florida Middle Grounds are home to a unique ecosystem. An ecosystem is a community of living things and their environment. This area is the northernmost place in North America where you can find certain types of soft corals called octocorals. It's like a very old coral reef that has similarities to modern reefs.
This reef has a mix of species found in both the Carolinas and the Caribbean Sea. Many of the fish here are tropical, meaning they are usually found in warm waters. The community is mostly made up of stony corals, gorgonians (another type of soft coral), and sponges. These creatures rely on the Loop Current, a warm ocean current that brings nutrients to the area.
Who Lives Here?
The Florida Middle Grounds are bursting with life! Scientists have found:
- 170 different kinds of fish
- 103 types of algae (seaweed)
- About 40 kinds of sponges
- 75 types of mollusks (like snails and clams)
- 56 kinds of decapod crustaceans (like crabs and shrimp)
- 41 types of polychaetes (a type of marine worm)
- 23 kinds of echinoderms (like starfish and sea urchins)
- 23 different kinds of stony corals
Researching the Reef
In 2000, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) helped fund a research project. Scientists wanted to study the health of the reef. They used a special one-person submersible called the DeepWorker 2000 to explore the underwater world.
Fun Activities at the Middle Grounds
The "Middle Grounds shipwreck" is a very popular spot for scuba diving and fishing. Divers love to explore the sunken ship. In 2004, a team of divers led by Michael C. Barnette identified the wreck. It was the tugboat Gwalia.
