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1971 Map of Marquesas Keys East

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Marquesas Keys East
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Key West National Wildlife Refuge encompasses the fragile marine environment of the lower Florida Keys in this 1971 orthophotomap. The imagery reveals the complex shifting shoals and shallow basins of the Boca Grande Channel, a primary passage separating the westernmost islands from the rest of the chain. To the west, the distinctive circular lagoon formation of the Marquesas Keys is partially visible, featuring Mooney Harbor and the smaller Gull Keys.

Hydrographic data from 1967 and 1970 charts is overlaid onto the aerial photography, providing depth soundings that transition from the shallow flats into the deeper Straits of Florida to the south. On the eastern edge of the channel, Boca Grande Key stands as a significant landmark for those studying the natural coastline and mangrove habitats before modern environmental shifts. This survey captures a specific moment in the seafloor's topography, where the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico meet the tidal currents of the Atlantic.