Long Beach EarthCache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(not chosen)
Related Web Page
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This Earthcache is located on The National Key Deer Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 1957 to protect and preserve Key deer and other wildlife resources in the Florida Keys. The refuge consists of approximately 9,200 acres of land that includes pine rockland forests, tropical hardwood hammocks, freshwater wetlands, salt marsh wetlands, and mangrove forests. These natural communities are critical habitat for hundreds of endemic and migratory species including 17 federally-listed species.
This is a great location to practice CITO! Tides constantly bring marine debris ashore, so grab a bag and help us keep this area awesome!
Long Beach is the only place in the Lower Florida Keys where Key Largo limestone is exposed, elsewhere in the Lower Keys, it is overlain by Miami oolite. Key Largo Limestone is basically the fossilized remains of an ancient coral reef that thrived along a band from present day Miami to the Dry Tortugas approximately 100,000 years ago. The Miami oolite was formed later and is hardened compacted marine sediment.
Parking for access to Long Beach is limited to the side of the road. Take US1 to Long Beach Road, drive about a half mile to a large bend in the road and you will see a brown Refuge gate on your left. Walk straight past the gate (don’t follow the old road). There is a trail through the Hammock that parallels the beach that you can take, or you may also walk along the shore. This is a great area to see Key Deer, butterflies and many species of shorebirds
When you reach this Earthcache location, pay attention to the rocks around you (low tide is the best time to see them). The Key Largo limestone is typically brighter and more porous than the Miami oolite. The Key Largo limestone also contains many fossils of corals and mollusks. The Miami oolite is usually darker and smoother than the Key Largo limestone. You may be able to find some rocks that are large chunks of Key Largo limestone with a blanket of Miami oolite covering a portion of it.
"Intertidal erosion of the exposed Key Largo formation is a source of the sediment of the upper and middle Keys beaches" (Clark, 1990)On Long Beach, the eroded rock creates tidepools, which provide a unique habitat for many marine and coastal species.
Stop by the Refuge Visitor Center on your way to this Earthcache for a checkoff list of bird species, and other helpful information like how to identify poisonwood! The Visitor Center is located in the Big Pine Key Winn Dixie Shopping Plaza on Key Deer Blvd, just north of the light on US1. You can also call at (305) 872-0774
Please remember that it is illegal to feed the Key Deer! Feeding them changes their natural behavior, promotes the spread of disease, and attracts them to unnatural settings which can put them in harms way (vehicle strikes, dog attacks, entanglement, etc...)
To receive credit for this Earthcache:
1) What might be causing the erosion/dissolution of the limestone at Long Beach?
2) What kinds of fossils did you find in the Key Largo Limestone? How big/small were they? You may submit your own pictures, although they are not required.
3) How do you think organisms got into the tidepools that the limestone provides?
Extra Credit: What plant and animal species did you see while at Long Beach? You may submit your own photos, although they are not required.
PLEASE BE ADVISED: ONLY REFUGE STAFF MAY PLACE CACHES ON REFUGE LANDS. ANY ILLEGAL CACHES WILL BE REMOVED.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)