Earth from Space - Image Description

STS075-728-095 Northern Florida Keys, U.S.A. March 1996
The different shades of color represent different depths of water--the dark blues show the deeper water of the north-flowing Gulf Stream in the Straits of Florida, approximately 900 feet (275 meters) deep; the lighter waters adjacent to the Florida Keys average 10 feet (3 meters) in depth; and the highly reflective aquas denote very shallow [3 feet (1 meter)] Florida Bay with a multitude of vegetated islands (lower left). Visible are a small section of the southeastern portion of The Everglades and the mangrove swamp north of Florida Bay; the coral reefs and limestone islands that make up the southwest-arcing Florida Keys; most of shallow Biscayne Bay (upper center); and the vague outline of the southern extent of greater Miami (upper left).

This service is provided by the International Space Station program and the JSC Earth Science & Remote Sensing Unit, ARES Division, Exploration Integration Science Directorate.