1972 Map of Schooner Bank

About this map

Florida Bay's intricate marine topography is the focus of this 1970s orthophotomap, revealing the shallow banks and basins that define this portion of Everglades National Park. Unlike standard topographic sheets, this edition uses aerial photography taken in 1971 to visualize the submerged landscape, highlighting the serpentine channels of Ninemile Bank and the broad expanse of Rabbit Key Basin. The map tracks the Indefinite Boundary crossing through open water, marked by navigational aids like the Light near Schooner Bank. These shoals, including Sprigger Bank and Oxfoot Bank, illustrate the complex estuarine environment where the Florida peninsula meets the sea, providing a rare look at the underwater geography of the Keys region before later environmental shifts.