Anclote Key
 Anclote Key from the air | |
  Anclote Key Location in Florida  Anclote Key Location in United States | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Gulf of Mexico |
| Coordinates | 28°11′16″N 82°50′44″W / 28.18778°N 82.84556°W |
| Administration | |
| State | Florida |
| County | Pasco and Pinellas |
Anclote Key is a
Anclote Key is the northernmost barrier island on the Gulf coast of the Florida peninsula.[a] It is a wave-dominated barrier island, 3 miles (4.8 km) long, with tidal channels at each end. A mangrove forest extends along the landward side of the island. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the island has existed for about 1,200 to 1,500 years. Sand dunes up to 10 feet (3.0 m) tall occur on the island. Anclote Key has lengthened considerably since 1960, especially on the northern end. This growth has blocked the channel at the north end of the island.[3]
In the 1990s sand bars developed off both the north and south ends of the island, blocking the shallow tidal channels there. Both shoals grew and emerged above water. The new islands are now vegetated, and are known as North Anclote Bar and South Anclote Bar, respectively. The area around Anclote Key had little sand available for deposition on shoals and barriers in the middle of the 20th century. There was sand on the Gulf bottom, but it was anchored by beds of seagrass that extended almost up to the surf zone. In, or shortly after, 1960, the sea grass disappeared, and the bottom sand became available for transportation by wave and current action, providing material for those islands.[4]
Notes
- Florida Panhandle, does not have any barrier islands.
References
- ^ Anclote Key Lighthouse Page. "History". Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
- ^ "Anclote Key Preserve State Park". Florida State Parks. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
- ^ Davis (2016), pp. 49, 51–56
- ^ Davis (2016), pp. 11–12, 53–54, 55–56
Sources
- Davis, Richard A. Jr. (2016). Barrier Islands of the Florida Gulf Coast Peninsula. Sarasota, Florida: ISBN 978-1-56164-8085.
External links
