Archaeological Features

The Lemon Bay area is archaeologically rich with 34 sites in or adjacent to the Lemon Bay Aquatic Preserve, including 27 shell middens, 3 burial sites and mounds and 1 artifact scatter.

Natural Communities

Lemon Bay Aquatic Preserve is composed of marine and estuarine waters, inlets, bays, tidal creeks, mudflats, sand bars, beaches and salt flats. Submerged and intertidal habitats include seagrass beds, mangrove islands, fringes and forests; oyster bars; soft bottom communities; brackish marshes and algae flats.

Wildlife

Over 150 species of birds, 100 species of invertebrates and 200 species of fish reside in the bay. Lemon Bay is a valuable nursery for hundreds of economically and recreationally important species. It also provides forage for endangered species such as sea turtles and manatees, and is a breeding and wintering habitat for many migratory bird species.

• Listed Species

Physical Features

The Lemon Bay Aquatic Preserve is a linear inlet system connected by previous dredging activities. Lemon Bay proper is low and flat with large areas of wetland occurring inland east of the bay and along the shorelines of the mainland and barrier islands. Tributary creeks within the watershed are winding, with little gradient and natural shorelines are irregular. There are two Gulf passes and seven tributaries controlling the waterflow of the bay.