There are no incorrect answers rather this Earthcache is an effort to provide the geocacher with some knowledge on the Bay and Islands protecting Little Sarasota Bay and blind pass.
Little Sarasota Bay:
Little Sarasota Bay is a lagoon located off the west coast of Florida in the United States. Though no significant single stream of freshwater enters the bay, with a drainage basin limited to 150 square miles in Manatee and Sarasota Counties, it is generally treated as an estuary, with three "passes" or inlets, giving access from the Gulf of Mexico. Its source of freshwater has been increased from natural historical levels by urban surface runoff.
Characteristics:
Sarasota Bay is a coastal lagoon formed by a necklace of barrier islands to the west and the mainland of Manatee and Sarasota Counties to the east. This coastal lagoon, with its unique embayments, tidal tributaries, small creeks, coves, inlets, and passes, is bounded by Anna Maria Sound to the north and the area just north of Venice Inlet to the south.
Bay Statistics:
Watershed size – 455 square miles Length – approximately 56 miles long Average depth – 6.5 feet Population – approximately 600,000
Embayments:
Sarasota Bay is made of a series of smaller bays or embayments including Palma Sola Bay, Sarasota Bay proper, Roberts Bay, Little Sarasota Bay, and Blackburn Bay. Each embayment is unique. They differ in overall size, shape, water depth, shoreline features, habitat, and sediment characteristics. This leads to differences in water circulation, freshwater inputs, nutrient loads, and other variables impacting on the Bay’s health and vitality. Because of these differences, each embayment must be analyzed and managed independently.
Tributaries:
Tributaries are creeks or streams that direct stormwater from the adjacent lands (watershed) and discharge it into a particular embayment. The primary tributaries include Bowlees Creek, Whitaker Bayou and Hudson Bayou (Sarasota Bay proper), Phillippi Creek (Roberts Bay), Catfish Creek and North Creek (Little Sarasota Bay), and South Creek (Blackburn Bay).
Types of Lagoons
Lagoons are classified into 3 main types; Restricted Lagoons, Choked Lagoons, and Leaky Lagoons:
Restricted Lagoons have multiple channels, well defined exchange with the ocean, and tend to show a net seaward transport of water. Wind patterns in restricted lagoons can also cause surface currents to develop, thus helping to transport large volumes of water downwind.
Choked Lagoons occur along high energy coastlines and have one or more long narrow channels which restrict water exchange with the ocean. Circulation within this type of lagoon is dominated by wind patterns.
Leaky Lagoons have wide tidal channels, fast currents and unimpaired exchange of water with the ocean.
Logging Requirements
1) Using the reference material as a guide, how would you define this lagoon?
2) Which direction is the water flowing in the lagoon at the time of your visit?
3) How would you define the water clarity?
4) Why, in your opinon, is the water clarity the way it is?
5) While not required, please post a picture of your observation of the lagoon at the time of your visit. (Optional)
The purpose of this Earthcache is to both learn a little bit about the geography of this area and hopefully gain some knowledge that you might not have known. More important than logging this cache is the hopes of gaining a little knowledge of this area! Thank you for visiting my Earthcache.
Please do not post your answers in the log and do not post a smiley without emailing your answers as your log will be deleted.
