ABSTRACT
The expansive coastal wetlands and freshwater marsh of south Florida are a result of the very slow relative rise of sea level during the past 3200 years (average rate of 4 cm/100 years). Prior to that time, relative sea level was rising at a rate of 23-50 cm/100 years-too fast for coastal swamp, marl, or sand environments to stabilize along south Florida’s coastlines. The establishment of a broad, coastal wetland during the past 3200 years has provided a natural barrier to marine waters and permitted freshwater environments of the Everglades to expand.
