Everglades-Marine Vocabulary

The Everglades

A 2 million acre wetland national park in South Florida characterized by sawgrass and serpentine waterways.

Sawgrass Prairie

A habitat dominated by razor-leafed sawgrass, slow-moving water and deeper channels of water called sloughs.

Hardwood Hammock

Slightly elevated islands within sawgrass prairies that are typically covered in dense thickets of hardwood trees.

Pine Rockland

A forest habitat characterized by sandy soil, slash pine and frequent fires.

Cypress Swamp

A wetland habitat dominated by cypress trees.

Mangrove Forest

 An estuary ecosystem populated by mangroves that anchor coastal sediment, reduce erosion and provide crucial habitat for many fish, birds, mollusks and crustaceans.

Florida Bay

The body of water separating the Florida Keys and the southern tip of the peninsula dotted with mangrove, keys and rich seagrass meadows.

Everglades Restoration

A plan enacted by Congress in 2000 to restore, protect and preserve the water resources of the greater Everglades ecosystem.